A    HISTORY 


CONTAINING   AX   ACCOUNT   OP 


ITS  EARLY  SETTLEMENT  AND  PRESENT  ADVANTAGES, 


A   SBPARATB 


HISTORY  OF  THE  SEVERAL  TOWNS, 


NOTICES    OP    RELIGIOUS    ORGANIZATIONS,    EDUCATION,    AGRICULTURE 

AND  MANUFACTURES,  WITH  THE  NAMES  AND  SOME  ACCOUNT 

OF  THE  FIRST  SETTLERS  IN  EACH  TOWNSHIP, 


VALUABLE  STATISTICAL  INFORMATION. 


BY  C.  W.  RICHMOND  &  H.  F.  VALLETTE. 


• 


CHICAGO: 

:SES    OF    SCRIPPS,    BROSS    &    SPEAnhf)    CI-AP.K    STREET. 


ENTERED,  ACCORDING  TO  ACT  or  CONGRESS,  is  THE  TEAK  1857,  BY 

C.  W.  RICHMOND  ASTD  H.  F.  VALLETTE, 
THE  CLERK'S  OFFICE  OF  ran  DISTRICT  COURT  OF  THB  NORTHERN  DISTRICT  OF 


ILLINOIS. 


CO/TEH,  PAGE  A  HOYNE, 

BINDERS, 
128  and  130  Lake  Street 


\ 


THE  authors  propose  to  offer  no  apology  for  the 
appearance  of  this  work.  They  are,  however,  con- 
scious of  many  of  its  imperfections,  to  which  it 

>   would  be  unwise  in  them  to  draw  the  attention  of 

r- 

:£  the  public. 

.       The  original  manuscript  was  prepared  more  than 
•    a  year  ago,  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  printer, 
X  whose   establishment,  with  all  his  effects,  including 
•      said  manuscript,   was   carried   down  stream   at  the 
/**  time  of  the   high   water  last   spring.      To   this   cir- 
<*  cumstance  may  be  attributed  the  delay  in  its  pub- 
i  lication,  as  well  as  some   slight   errors  of  omission 
^and    commission,    which    anybody   is   at   liberty   to 
liml  ill  the  work.     If  the  reader  chances  to  discover 
anything  of   the  kind,  we  here    take  the  liberty  to 
^  inform  him   beforehand,  that  "  we  knew  it."      And 
Y  thinks  he  can  write  a*bettcr  history  of 

fVniYrHr      wr»     /^on    rmlir    cnv    tr»    liim      in     flio 


if 

DU''J^GB  County,  we  can  only  say  to  liim,  in  the 


• 


IV  TO   THE   READER. 

language  of  the  good  deacon  who  made  an  un- 
successful attempt  to  preach  in  the  absence  of  the 
regular  pastor,  "  if  you  really  think  you  can  do  it 
better,  why,  try  it,  that's  all." 

We  hereby  tender  our  acknowledgments  to  the 
following  named  persons,  for  much  valuable  in- 
formation for  the  work  :  Capt.  JOSEPH  NAPER,  Miss 
NANCY  HOBSON,  JOHN  WARNE,  WILLARD  SCOTT,  R.  K. 
MURRAY,  II.  B.  HILLS,  H.  D.  FISHER,  L.  ~VV.  MILLS, 
E.  DUNCKLEE,  Rev.  Mr.  WASHBHRNE,  E.  R.  LOOMIS, 
Hon.  WALTER  BLANCHARD,  JOHN  GRANGER,  MYRON 
C.  DUDLEY. 

THE  AUTHORS. 


•* 


EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  COUNTY. 


PIONEER  REMINISCENCES. 

THE  present  chapter  is  designed  to  embody  the 
leading  incidents  connected  with  the  early  settlement 
of  Du  PAGE  County,  and  embraces  a  period  of  nearly 
three  years.  It  may  be  for  the  benefit  of  some  to 
state,  that  this  narrative  does  not  disclose  a  succession 
of  "disastrous  chances,"  nor  is  it  fraught  with  "  mov- 
ing accidents  by  ilood  and  field,"  and  he  who  peruses 
these  pages,  thinking  to  derive  gratification  from 
such  sources,  will  undoubtedly  be  disappointed.  The 
pioneers  of  our  county  are  fast  passing  from  us,  and 
soon  there  will  none  remain  to  tell  the  story  of  their 
hardships. 

That  such  facts  and  incidents,  relating  to  their 
settlement  here,  as  are  considered  worthy  of  record, 
may  be  preserved,  is  the  object  of  this  sketch ;  and 
if  these  convey  no  lessons  of  historic  value,  it  is 
believed  that  they  will  not  be  devoid  of  interest  to 
those  familiar  with  the  locality  of  the  scenes  de- 
scribed. The  bulk  of  information  herein  detailed,  has 
been  gathered  from  authentic  sources,  from  living 
witnesses ;  and  if  errors  or  omissions  have  occurred, 


II  I  8  TO  KY     OF 


the  writer  can  only  assert,  in  extenuation,  the  honesty 
of  his^  intentions,  and  crave  a  liberal  indulgence 
toward  his  deficiencies. 

The  first  permanent  settlement  within  the  limits  of 
DC  PAGE,  was  made  in  the  fall  of  1830,  and  during 
the  spring  of  the  year  following.  Stephen  J.  Scott 
removed  from  Maryland  to  this  State,  with  his  family, 
in  the  year  1825,  and  "  made  a  claim "  near  the 
present  site  of  Gros  Point.  While  on  a  hunting  tour, 
in  the  month  of  August,  1830,  in  company  with  his 
son  Willard,  he  discovered  the  Du  PAGE  river,  near 
Plainfield.  Impressed  with  the  beauty  and  apparent 
fertility  of  the  surrounding  country,  he  resolved  to 
explore  the  river,  and  ascended  it  as  far  as  the  con- 
fluence of  its  east  and  west  branches,  now  called 
"  The  Forks."  Here  he  became  enamored  of  the 
gorgeous  adornings  with  which  the  hand  of  nature 
had  embellished  the  scene  around  him.  In  these  he 
beheld  infallible  tokens  of  the  "  promised  land,"  and 
it  required  but  little  time  for  him  to  ponder  and 
determine  the  question  of  making  that  beautiful 
region  his  future  home. 

A  comfortable  log  house  was  subsequently  built 
upon  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Sheldon,  and  the 
family  of  Mr.  Scott  came  on  to  possess  the  "  new 
claim,"  in  the  fall  of  1830.  Other  families  soon 
settled  in  the  vicinity.  Although  Mr.  Scott  is  en- 
titled to  the  distinction  of  having  been  the  pioneer  of 
the  "  settlement,"  which  soon  extended  for  several 
miles  along  the  river  into  WILL  and  DC  PAGE,  yet 
there  are  others  who  lay  well  established  claims  to 
the  pioneership  of  this  county.  About  the  middle 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY. 


of  March,  1831,  Baley  Hobson  came  and  settled,  with 
his  family,  near  the  present  site  of  the  family  resi- 
dence, being  the  first  actual  settler  on  the  soil  of  Du 
PAGE  County.  The  family  of  Mr.  Paine  located  near 
Mr.  Hobson,  in  April  following.  In  July  the  family 
of  Capt.  Joseph  Naper  came  from  Ohio,  accompanied 
by  the  family  of  his  brother,  John  N^aper.  Capt.  Naper 
had  visited  the  county  in  February,  1831.  He  built 
a  cabin  near  the  site  of  his  flouring  mill,  in  which  he 
lived  until  a  more  commodious  dwelling  could  be 
provided  for  his  family.  He  also  built  a  trading 
hoiise  that  season,  and  carried  on  quite  an  extensive 
trade  with  the  settlers  and  Indians.  The  latter  were 
quite  numerous  here  at  that  time,  but  he  always 
sustained  the  most  friendly  relations  with  them.  The 
settlement  received  constant  additions  to  its  numbers, 
and  at  the  end  of  spring,  1832,  it  contained  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  souls.  Among  the  families  were 
those  of  H.  T.  Wilson,  Lyman  Butterfield,  Ira  Car- 
penter, John  Murray,  R.  M.  Sweet,  Alanson  Sweet, 
Harry  Boardman,  Israel  Blodgett,  Robert  Strong, 
Pierce  Hawley,  Walter  Stowel,  C.  Foster,  J.  Man- 
ning, and  II.  Babbitt. 

The  locality  was  then  known  as  "  Naper's  Settle 
ment."  The  winter  of  1832  was  one  of  unusual 
severity,  which,  together  with  a  scarcity  of  provisions, 
rendered  the  prospects  of  the  settlers  rather  gloomy. 
John  Kaper,  John  Murray,  and  R.  M.  Sweet  were  sent 
to  the  "Wabash"  for  provisions,  from  which  place 
supplies  were  at  length  obtained,  and  the  dreary  sea- 
son, "on  his  frozen  wings,"  passed  away  without  much 
suffering  among  the  settlers.  The  new  spring  awoke 
and  clothed  the  earth  in  all  the  beauty  and  freshness  of 


HISTORY     OF 


a  young  creation,  quickening  into  life  countless  germs, 
in  bud,  and  flower,  and  tree ;  filling  the  air  with  the  mel- 
ody of  motion,  the  murmur  of  released  waters,  and  the 
song  of  birds,  and  spotting  the  verdure  of  the  wide- 
spreading  prairies  with  fire  and  gold  in  the  tint  of 
flowers.  How  true  to  the  sentiment  of  all  who 
witnessed  the  opening  of  that  long  looked  for  spring, 
must  be  the  words  of  the  poet : 

"  These  are  the  gardens  of  the  Desert — these 
The  unshorn  fields,  boundless  and  beautiful, 
And  fresh  as  the  young  earth  ere  man  had  sinned. 
The  Prairies !  I  behold  them  for  the  first, 
And  my  heart  swells,  while  the  dilated  sight 
Takes  in  the  encircling  vastness." 

Never  was  a  "  good  time  come  "  hailed  with  more 
gladness  than  was  the  spring  of  1832,  by  the  infant 
colony.  A  prospect  of  reward  for  past  hardships  was 
before  them.  All  was  busy  preparation  for  the  ap- 
proaching seed  time.  The  labor  of  breaking  and 
fencing  went  briskly  forward,  and  in  due  time  the 
new  fledged  grain  came  peering  from  t)ie  mellow 
ground.  But-  long  before  the  growing  fields  stood 
ready  for  the  sickle  of  the  glad  harvester,  the  little 
band  were  obliged  to  relinquish  their  cherished 
anticipations,  and  flee  from  their  new  homes  for  the 
safety  of  their  lives. 

The  news  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war  caused  great  excitement  in  the  settlement,  and  the 
alarm  was  heightened  by  the  arrival  of  Shata,  an  ex- 
press from  the  Pottawattomies,  who  were  friendly  to  the 
whites,  with  the  intelligence  that  a  party  of  Sac  Indians 
were  committing  depredations  among  the  settlers  on 
Fox  river,  some  ten  miles  distant,  and  that  the  houses  of 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  9 

Cunningham  and  Hollenbeck  bad  been  burned  to  the 
ground,  and  their  property  entirely  destroyed.  Aware 
of  their  inability  to  carry  on  a  successful  warfare  with 
the  Indians,  as  the  colony  was  in  an  almost  defenseless 
state,  and  being  liable  to  an  attack  from  them  at  any 
moment,  the  settlers  decided  to  send  their  families, 
with  all  possible  haste,  to  Chicago,  where  old  Fort 
Dearborn  offered  its  protection  to  any  fearing  the 
incursions  of  the  savages.  The  settlement  was  now 
the  scene  of  universal  disorder  and  alarm.  Bustle 
and  confusion  were  the  order  of  the  hour.  Men  were 
hurrying  to  and  fro  in  eager  pursuit  of  their  wives 
and  children,  while  weeping  wives  and  crying  children 
were  hurrying  with  equal  rapidity  and  greater  anxiety 
in  pursuit  of  their  husbands  and  fathers.  Order  was 
at  length,  in  some  degree,  restored,  and  while  the 
women  were  engaged  in  packing  such  articles  of 
clothing  and  provision  as  they  would  require  for  the 
journey,  the  men  were  actively  fitting  out  teams  to 
convey  them  away. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  of  the  18th  of  May,  the  train 
started  for  Chicago.  But  the  family  of  Christopher 
Paine,  who  lived  near  the  place  of  S.  &  D.  Babbitt, 
consisting  of  his  wife  and  six  children,  were,  in  the 
general  confusion  incident  to  their  hasty  departure, 
left  behind.  The  family  were  sent  in  advance  of  the 
train,  with  directions  to  wait  at  a  short  distance  from 
the  settlement  for  its  arrival.  Concealing  themselves 
in  a  thicket  by  the  roadside,  near  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Capt.  John  Sargent,  and  not  hearing  the  company 
as  it  passed,  they  were  obliged  to  remain  in  their  place 
of  concealment  during  the  night,  which  must  have  been 
1* 


10  H  I  S  T  O  R  Y    OF 


one  of  fearful  anxiety  to  the  mother,  as  the  imagina- 
tive dangers  of  her  situation  magnified,  while  watching 
over  her  houseless  and  defenseless  children.  They 
returned  in  safety  to  the  settlement  next  morning,  but 
much  exhausted  by  fatigue  and  hunger. 

The  following  incidents  relating  to  the  alarm  and 
sudden  flight  of  Mr.  Hobson's  family,  have  been 
kindly  furnished  by  one  of  its  members.  Mr.  Hobson, 
with  Mr.  Paine  and  son,  had  just  seated  themselves  at 
their  noonday  meal,  relating,  in  the  meantime,  the 
intelligence  they  had  received  while  at  work  in  the 
field;  that  a  band  of  Indians  were  advancing,  and 
were  then  only  thirty  miles  distant,  when  they  were 
suddenly  interrupted  by  the  appearance  of  Paine's 
eldest  son,  who  rushed  into  the  house,  bareheaded  and 
breathless,  informing  them  that  Specie  and  Ament 
had  just  arrived  from  the  An.  Sable  grove,  having  run 
their  horses  down,  and  performed  a  part  of  the  journey 
on  foot,  to  bring  the  alarming  intelligence  that  a  body 
of  Indians  had  that  morning  passed  through  Hollen- 
beck's  grove,  killing  several  settlers,  and  burning 
everything  in  their  path.  Upon  this  intelligence, 
immediate  preparations  for  safety  were  considered 
expedient.  Hobson  and  Paine  arose  from  the  table, 
leaving  the  dinner  untasted.  Mr.  Paine,  accompanied 
by  his  sons,  started  in  great  haste  for  their  home,  while 
Mr.  Hobson  prepared  to  ride  up  to  the  Xaper  settle- 
ment, to  see  what  the  inhabitants  there  had  concluded 
to  do,  but  his  wife  and  children,  clinging  to  him, 
begged  him  not  to  leave  them ;  whereupon  he  saddled 
the  horses,  and  after  seeing  the  wife  and  children  all 
mounted,  except  the  eldest  son,  who  was  to  accompany 


DU     PAGE    COUNTY.  ll 

them  011  foot,  they  started  together.  They  directed 
their  course  through  the  east  end  of  the  grove,  and 
coming  upon  a  rise  of  ground,  beheld  a  man  on 
horseback,  about  a  mile  distant.  It  immediately 
occurred  to  Mr.  Hobson  that  this  was  an  Indian 
spy,  but  it  proved  to  be  one  of  a  small  party  of 
scouts,  sent  out  from  the  settlement.  He,  however, 
directed  his  wife  and  children  to  hasten  out  of  sight. 
They  rode  into  the  grove  and  dismounted.  Mr.  H. 
came  up  soon  after,  threw  the  saddles  into  a  thicket, 
turned  the  horses  into  a  neighboring  field,  and  made 
all  possible  haste  to  secrete  his  family ;  directing  them 
to  use  every  precaution  to  evade  pursuit,  and  not  to 
tangle  nor  bruise  the  grass  and -weeds  as  they  went 
along.  Having  done  this,  his  attention  was  next 
directed  to  his  dog,  a  faithful  and  valuable  animal. 
"  You  have  been,"  said  he,  "  my  companion  and  pro- 
tector for  years  ;  you  have  never  been  unfaithful  to  a 
trust,  nor  given  me  cause  to  question  your  fidelity — 
always  'the  first  to  welcome,  foremost  to  defend.' 
But  now  you  may  betray  us,  and,  saddening  as  the 
thought  may  be,  I  must  be  reconciled  to  the  necessity 
of  putting  you  to  death."  So,  taking  the  unsuspecting 
victim,  he  went  to  a  cabin  near  by,  which  had  been 
but  recently  occupied  by  the  family  of  Mr.  Seth 
Wescott,  his  object  being  to  procure  an  ax  with  which 
to  do  the  deed  at  which  his  very  soul  shuddered.  It 
was  supposed  that  the  family  of  Mr.  Wescott  had 
received  the  alarm,  and  fled.  What  then  was  his 
surprise  to  meet  him  at  the  threshold  of  his  door, 
with  gun  in  hand,  just  starting  out  on  a  hunting 
expedition.  At  Mr.  Hobson's  solicitation,  the  dog 


12  HISTOKY     OF 


was  shot ;  but  lie  died  not,  as  many  pass  from  life, 
without  a  tear  to  consecrate  the  event,  or  a  heart  to 
embalm  the  memory  of  the  departed  soul — his  loss 
was  sincerely  lamented.  Mr.  Wescott  made  imme- 
diate preparation  to  join  the  settlers,  and  Mr.  liobson, 
fearing  that  the  report  of  the  gun  might  have  alarmed 
his  family,  hastened  to  meet  them.  Accompanied  by 
his  wife  he  then  returned  to  the  house  to  make  prepa- 
rations, in  case  it  should  become  necessary  for  them 
to  desert  their  home.  The  box  had  been  removed 
from  the  wagon,  but  with  his  wife's  assistance  he  was 
enabled  to  replace  it,  and,  after  completing  their 
arrangements,  they  again  set  forth,  Mrs.  Hobson  with 
some  food  to  seek  her  children  in  the  grove,  while  her 
husband  went  to  the  settlement  to  see  what  prepara- 
tions were  being  made  there.  On  his  arrival  he  found 
that  the  families,  with  a  part  of  the  men,  had  gone  to 
Chicago.  He  informed  those  that  remained  of  the 
condition  of  his  family,  and  of  his  anxiety  that  they 
should  set  Out  that  night,  in  hopes  of  overtaking  the 
advance  party.  Capt.  I^aper,  Lieut.  King,  and  Specie 
volunteered  to  return  with  him  to  the  place  where  he 
had  concealed  his  family.  They  were  all  mounted  ex- 
cept King,  who  was  on  foot.  Having  found  the  family 
in  their  hiding  place,  it  was  a  matter  that  required 
considerable  mathematical  skill  to  determine  how  they 
were  to  be  conveyed.  It  was  at  length  decided  that 
the  two  eldest  children  should  be  placed  on  the  horse 
of  Mr.  Hobson ;  that  Capt.  Naper  should  take  two 
more  on  the  horse  with  him  ;  and  that  Mrs>  Hobson, 
assisted  by  King,  should  go  on  foot,  carrying  the 
youngest  child,  then  two  years  old.  They  pressed  on 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  13 

toward  the  north  end  of  the  grove,  where  Mr.  Hobson 
had  agreed  to  meet  them  with  his  team.  Emerging 
from  the  grove  they  had  yet  half  a  mile  to  go,  and 
Mrs.  Hobson  being  fatigued  by  the  journey,  one  of 
the  children  was  taken  from  Capt.  Naper's  horse  and 
placed  on  the  horse  with  the  two  others,  while  Mrs. 
Hobson  mounted  behind  Capt.  Naper.  They  started 
again,  one  horse  carrying  Capt.  Naper,  with  his  huge 
Kentucky  rifle,  together  with  Mrs.  Hobson,  one  child, 
and  sundry  and  divers  trappings.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  gallant  captain  never  presented  a  more  formidable 
appearance  than  he  did  while  riding  along  on  that 
memorable  occasion,  with  his  burnished  steel  glisten- 
ing in  the  moonbeams,  although  he  has,  since  that 
day,  been  the  hero  of  at  least  three  decisive  battles. 

They  arrived  in  safety  at  the  place  appointed  to 
meet  Mr.  Hobson,  who  soon  came  up  with  his  oxen 
and  wagon,  bringing  with  him  such  things  from  the 
house  as  he  could  hastily  pick  up  in  the  dark.  The 
announcement  of  "all  aboard"  soon  followed.  Mr. 
Hobson  gave  up  his  horse  to  Mr.  King,  who  returned 
with  Capt.  Naper  to  the  settlement,  while  the  vehicle 
containing  the  family  moved  on  its  slow  and  weary 
way.  The  night  was  cold,  and  rendered  still  more 
uncomfortable  by  a  heavy  fall  of  rain;  but  wet  and 
cold  are  of  minor  consideration,  when  compared  with 
the  horrors  of  an  excited  imagination,  which  trans- 
forms every  tree  and  shrub  into  a  merciless  Indian 
foe,  with  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  in  hand, 
ready  to  commit  their  deeds  of  cruelty  and  slaughter. 
Passing  a  night  of  the  most  intense  fear  and  anxiety, 
they  arrived  at  Brush  Hill  at  sunrise.  Crossing  the 


-1  , 

II I  8  T  O  K  Y     O  K 


O'Plain,  they  found  a  habitation,  the  only  one  on  the 
whole  route.  They  journeyed  on,  and  soon  reached 
the  "Big  Prairie,"  the  distance  across  which  is  about 
ten  miles.  Crossing  this  prairie  was  the  most  tedious 
part  of  the  way.  The  wheels,  during  a  greater  part 
of  the  distance,  were  half  imbedded  in  the  marshy 
soil,  rendering  it  almost  impossible  for  the  team  to 
move  on,  even  with  an  empty  wagon.  The  children 
became  sickened  from  exposure  and  thirst.  Being 
unprovided  with  a  drinking  vessel,  Mrs.  Hobson  fre- 
quently took  the  shoe  from  her  foot  and  dipped  the 
muddy  water  from  the  pools  by  the  roadside,  which 
they  drank  with  much  apparent  satisfaction.  They 
plodded  on  at  a  slow  pace,  and  reached  their  desti- 
nation at  a  little  before  sunset,  much  exhausted  by 
hunger  and  fatigue,  neither  Mr.  nor  Mrs.  Hobson 
having  tasted  food  for  more  than  thirty-six  hours. 
They  were  safely  quartered  in  Fort  Dearborn,  and 
here  we  leave  them,  and  return  to  the  settlement. 

Some  fifteen  or  twenty  men  remained  behind,  when 
the  settlement  was  abandoned  by  the  families,  in  order 
to  protect,  if  possible,  their  dwellings  and  other  prop- 
erty, from  the  depredations  of  the  Indians,  should  they 
come  to  destroy  them.  They  quartered  themselves  in 
the  log  house  of  Capt.  jSTaper,  and  kept  vigilant  guard 
during  the  night.  On  the  following  morning  the  set- 
tlement was  visited  by  Lawton,  an  Indian  trader,  liv- 
ing -on  the  O'Plain,  in  company  with  three  Indians 
and  a  half-breed,  named  Burrasaw.  They  brought  no 
news,  but  came  to  gather  further  particulars  in  rela- 
tion to  the  threatened  invasion  of  the  Sacs.  As  the 
settlers  had  heard  nothing:  of  their  movements  since 


DU     I'AGE    CO 


TTNTY.  15 


the  departure  of  Shata's  express,  it  was  resolved  that 
a  party,  joined  by  Lawton  and  the  three  Indians, 
should  go  to  the  camp  of  the  Pottawattomies,  near 
the  Big  Woods,  some  ten  miles  distant,  for  informa- 
tion. Two  men,  named  Brown  and  Murphy,  had 
been  placed  on  patrol  that  morning,  and  were  out  on 
the  prairie,  a  little  west  of  the  settlement.  The  party 
setting  out  for  the  Big  Woods  determined  to  test  their 
courage,  and  for  that  purpose,  sent  the  three  Indians 
in  advance  of  the  main  party.  As  soon  as  the  Indians 
came  in  sight  of  the  patrol,  they  gave. a  most  terrific 
war  whoop,  and  darted  on  after  them  with  the  fleet- 
ness  of  so  many  arrows.  The  patrol,  seized  with  sud- 
den consternation,  sprang  to  their  horses  and  fled  in 
the  wildest  dismay — first  toward  the  north,  but  being 
intercepted  by  some  of  the  company,  whom  they  took 
to  be  savages,  they  wheeled  and  took  an  opposite  direc- 
tion. In  this  course  they  were  again  intercepted  by  the 
three  Indians.  Concluding  they  must  be  surrounded, 
they  came  to  a  halt,  laid  down  their  arms,  and  were 
about  to  sue  for  mercy,  when  they  chanced  to  discover 
in  the  features  of  their  vengeful  pursuers  a  striking 
likeness  to  those  they  had  left  at  the  settlement.  The 
fact  soon  dawned  upon  them  that  they  had  been  suc- 
cessfully hoaxed,  and  their  duties  "on  guard"  termi- 
nated with  that  adventure. 

The  company  advanced  toward  the  Big  Woods. 
As  they  drew  near  the  timber,  an  Indian  was  ob- 
served mounted  on  a  horse,  who,  on  seeing  them, 
turned  and  fled.  The  three  Indians  made  instant 
pursuit;  overtaking  him  before  he  had  gone  far,  they 
made  themselves  known  as  friends,  and  detained  him 


16  II I  S  T  O  R  Y    O  F 


until  the  company  came  Tip.  Lawton  understood  the 
dialects  of  several  Indian  tribes,  and  in  a  conversation 
with  him  ascertained  that  he  belonged  to  the  Potta- 
wattomies,  who  were  encamped  only  three  miles 
distant.  The  Indian  said  the  whole  of  his  tribe  were 
drunk,  and  it  would  be  dangerous  for  the  company 
to  visit  them.  However,  after  brief  consultation,  they 
decided  to  proceed  to  the  encampment,  and  the 
captured  Indian  led  the  way.  Although  the  appear- 
ance of  the  company  in  the  camp  caused  some  little 
excitement  among  that  portion  of  the  tribe  who  were 
sufficiently  sober  to  entertain  an  emotion  of  any  kind, 
yet  they  were  received  with  no  apparent  indications 
of  hostility.  On  examination,  the  testimony  of  the 
Indian  was  fully  substantiated.  Indians  were  found 
in  a  state  of  beastly  intoxication  in  every  part  of  the 
camp ;  while  others  were  enjoying  the  pastime  in  the 
most  picturesque,  amusing  and  fantastic  series  of  per- 
formances that  can  be  imagined.  Dancing,  singing, 
whooping  and  screeching,  delightfully  mingled,  form- 
ed the  grand  offering  which  there  went  up  at  the 
shrine  of  bad  whisky  and  worse  tobacco.  One 
fellow,  who  seemed  to  be  of  a  decidedly  pugnacious 
turn,  was  lying  on  the  ground,  face  downwards,  with 
his  hands  secured  behind  him,  Samson  like,  with 
green  withes.  Frantic  with  rage,  he  seemed  to  utter 
the  most  vehement  and  fearful  denunciations  against 
all  who  came  near  him.  Upon  inquiry,  it  was  ascer- 
tained that  the  fellow  had  violated  an  important  law 
in  their  code  respecting  these  orgies,  which  law  for- 
bids "  a  brother  knocking  a  brother  down,"  and  he 
was  suffering  the  penalty  affixed. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  17 

The  company  were  summoned  into  the  presence  of 
the  chiefs,  who  gave  them  a  friendly  and  courteous 
reception.  A  council  was  called,  and  Lawton  and 
Burrasaw  were  admitted  to  the  ring.  The  consulta- 
tion lasted  for  two  or  three  hours,  and  the  "  outsiders" 
were  becoming  rather  impatient.  An  old  Indian 
woman,  known  to  Capt.  Naper,  while  passing  near 
him,  uttered  in  his  ear  the  word  "  Puc-a-ehe,"  which, 
being  both  literally  and  liberally  interpreted,  signi- 
fies "  Be  off."  And  the  Captain  began  to  think  it 
time  to  heed  the  advice. 

Inquiry  was  made  in  relation  to  the  deliberations 
of  the  council,  and  Lawton  responded,  that  "  there 
were  three  hundred  Sac  Indians  in  the  Black  Berry 
timber,  some  four  miles  distant ;  and,"  said  he,  "  you 
will  see  them  if  you  wait  here  an  hour.  These  Indians 
will  not  fight  them,  but  will  'stop  them  by  talk,'  if 
they  can,  from  burning  your  settlement."  The  Cap- 
tain signified  no  inclination  to  hold  an  interview  with 
three  .hundred  Sac  Indians,  but  suggested  the  propri- 
ety of  retreating  to  the  settlement  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  sending  the  most  valuable  property  there  to 
Chicago.  This  plan  received  the  acquiescence  of  all 
the  company,  and  after  making  arrangements  with 
Lawtori  to  send  an  express  to  notify  them  of  any 
immediate  danger  from  the  Sacs,  the  settlers  returned. 
The  packing  of  their  goods  was  immediately  com- 
menced. All  the  articles  which  were  inconvenient 
to  convey,  were  lowered  into  a  well  partly  dug,  and 
all  was  soon  ready  for  loading  the  wagons.  The 
horses  had  been  harnessed,  and  were  then  feeding  at 
a  stable  some  ten  or  fifteen  rods  from  the  house. 


18  HIS  T  O  K  Y     OF 


Capt.  !N"aper  was  in  the  liouse  tying  the  corners  of  a 
quilt,  which  contained  the  remnant  of  clothing  left 
behind  by  his  family,  when  a  man  rushed  wildly  into 
the  room,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  the  Indians 
are  upon  us !"  The  whole  company  took  instant 
alarm,  and  with  the  exception  of  Captain  and  John 
Naper,  beat  a  precipitate  retreat  to  a  thicket  of  hazel 
bushes,  which,  in  those  days,  nourished  in  prolific 
exuberance  on  the  soil  now  known  as  Jefferson 
avenue.  The  two  Papers  were  somewhat  unlike  the 
redoutable  Mr.  Sparrowgrass,  who  was  prone  to  pull 
trigger  and  make  inquiries  afterward.  They  "decided 
that  inquiry  should  take  the  precedence,  and  if  it 
came  to  that,  why,  they  could  run  some. 

As  the  horses  were  near,  they  removed  the  harness 
and  put  on  the  saddles,  that  they  might  be  in  readi- 
ness in  case  of  emergency.  They  had  scarcely  accom- 
plished this,  when  Alanson  Sweet  came  galloping  up 
on  his  fierce  charger,  exhorting  them  to  instant  flight, 
if  they  valued  their  lives.  "  There  are  at  least  five  hun- 
dred Indians  upon  us,"  said  he,  "  and  they  are  not  more 
than  fifteen  rods  off."  Alanson  rode  away,  but  the  Pa- 
pers resolved  to  investigate.  They  walked  in  the  direc- 
tion from  which  Sweet  said  the  Indians  were  approach- 
ing, and  soon  came  upon  a  rise  of  ground  which  had 
concealed  the  Indians  from  view,  when  lo !  the  dusky 
visage  of  their  friend  Lawton  appeared  before  them. 
He  was  at  the  head  of  about  fifty  brawny  Pottawatto- 
mies,  and  had  come  to  warn  the  settlers  of  immediate 
danger.  Messengers  were  sent  out  to  gather  in  the 
fugitives,  that  all  might  listen  to  Lawton's  story.  He 
said  that  at  least  sixteen  of  the  Sacs,  and  how  many 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY. 


more  he  did  not  know,  had  crossed  Fox  river  ;  that 
the  Pottawattomies  could  not  stop  them.  They  were 
determined  to  attack  the  settlements,  and  their  "talk" 
could  not  prevent  them.  The  settlers,  upon  this,  aban- 
doned all  idea  of  saving  their  property,  but  determined 
to  make  every  effort  to  save  the  wife  and  children  of 
Paine,  who  were  still  in  the  settlement.  The  horses 
Avere  attached  to  a  light  covered  wagon,  in  which  the 
family  was  placed,  and  the  whole  company  set  out  that 
night  for  Chicago.  John  JNaper  insisted  upon  going 
on  foot,  and  divested  himself  of  everything  in  the 
shape  of  attire,  except  his  shirt  and  pantaloons.  He 
was  earnestly  entreated  to  ride,  but  upon  his  assuring 
the  party  that  "he  could  outrun  any  Sac  Indian  in 
the  nation,"  further  importunity  was  deemed  useless. 
They  reached  the  O'Plain,  and  encamped  for  the  night 
without  taking  their  horses  fr,om  the  wagon,  that  they 
might  be  ready  to  move  on  at  a  moment's  warning. 
They  had  hastened  on,  through  fear  of  being  cut  off" 
on  the  northern  trail,  by  the  Indians,  and  being  much 
worn  with  fatigue,  all  hands  slept  pretty  soundly  till 
next  morning.  The  journey  was  then  resumed,  and 
the  party  arrived  at  Chicago  before  noon,  on  the  20th 
day  of  May.  A  company  of  twenty-five  men  was 
raised  during  the  day,  to  return  to  the  settlement.  It 
consisted  chiefly  of  settlers,  accompanied  by  Captain 
Brown  and  Colonel  Hamilton.  They  started  on  Satur- 
day, May  21st,  and  passed  the  night  at  Lawton's. 
Next  day  they  went  on  to  the  settlement,  where  they 
found  everything  undisturbed.  Leaving  the  settle- 
ment under  the  guardianship  of  several  friendly 
Indians,  the  company  proceeded  to  Plainfield,  where 


HISTORY     OF 


they  found  the  settlers  safely  quartered  in  a  fort,  which 
they  had  just  completed.  They  then  started  for  II  ol- 
derman's  grove,  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  the 
settlers  there.  Meeting  Cunningham  and  Hollen- 
beck  on  the  way,  they  were  informed  that  it  would 
be  of  no  use  to  go  further,  as  their  property  had  been 
destroyed.  Notwithstanding,  they  proceeded  to  Hol- 
derman's  grove.  From  this  place  they  sent  an  express 
to  Ottawa,  to  notify  the  settlers  of  the  safety  of  their 
property,  and  also  sent  a  messenger  to  Chicago,  to 
apprise  their  friends  of  their  own  safety.  The  party 
remained  at  Holderinan's  house  during  the  night. 
Early  next  morning  the  express  returned  from  Otta- 
wa, bringing  the  intelligence  of  the  massacre  at  Indian 
creek.  The  party  immediately  went  to  Ottawa,  and 
thence  proceeded  to  the  scene  of  the  bloody  tragedy. 
What  they  there  witnessed  was  too  appalling  to  be 
described.  Not  less  than  fifteen  bodies,  of  men,  wo- 
men, and  children,  were  lying  there,  cut  and  mangled 
in  the  most  shocking  manner.  It  was  ascertained  that 
they  were  of  the  families  of  Messrs.  Hall,  Davis  and 
Pettigrew,  and  that  two  daughters  of  the  Hall  family, 
Silvia  and  Rachel,  the  one  about  seventeen  and  the 
other  about  fifteen  years  old,  were  carried  off  as  pris- 
oners. The  party  of  Indians  immediately  retreated 
into  the  Winnebago  country,  up  Rock  river,  carrying 
the  scalps  of  the  slain  and  their  prisoners  with  them. 
"  Indian  wars  are  the  wars  of  a  past  age.  They  have 
always  been  characterized  by  the  same  ferocity  and 
cruelty.  To  describe  this  massacre  is  only  to  repeat 
what  has  been  written  a  hundred  times ;  but  a  brief 
account  of  it  may  not  be  deemed  inappropriate  in  this 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  21 

place.  The  Indians  were  about  seventy  in  number. 
They  approached  the  house  in  which  the  three  fami- 
lies were  assembled  in  the  day  time.  They  entered  it 
suddenly,  with  but  little  notice.  Some  of  the  inmates 
were  immediately  shot  down  with  rifles,  others  were 
pierced  through  with  spears  or  despatched  with  the 
tomahawk.  The  Indians  afterward  related,  with  an 
infernal  glee,  how  the  women  had  squeaked  like  geese 
when  they  were  run  through  the  body  with  spears,  or 
felt  the  sharp  tomahawk  entering  their  heads.  All 
the  yictims  were  carefully  scalped,  their  bodies  shock- 
ingly mutilated ;  the  little  children  were  chopped  to 
pieces  with  axes,  and  the  bodies  of  the  women  were 
suspended  by  the  feet  from  the  walls  of  the  houses. 
The  young  women  prisoners  were  hurried,  by  forced 
marches,  beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit.  After  a  long 
and  fatiguing  journey  with  their  Indian  conductors, 
through  a  wilderness  country,  with  but  little  to  eat, 
and  being  subject  to  a  variety  of  fortune,  they  were 
at  last  purchased  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Winnebagoes, 
employed  by  Mr.  Gratiot  for  the  purpose,  with  two 
thousand  dollars,  in  horses,  wampum,  and  trinkets, 
and  were  returned  in  safety  to  their  friends." 

The  company  assisted  in  burying  the  dead,  and 
returned  with  sad  hearts  to  Ottawa.  There  they  found 
Col.  Stillman's  command,  consisting  of  about  two  hun- 
dred men,  under  Col.  Johnson.  The  settlers,  or  Capt. 
Brown's  company,  as  it  was  called,  encamped  on  the 
north  side  of  the  river,  near  where  the  city  of  Ottawa 
now  stands.  Capt.  Brown's  company  being  so  small,  he 
requested  Col.  Johnson  to  send  an  escort  with  his  party 
to  Chicago,  as  it  was  expected  that  they  would  be  at- 


22  IIISTORYOF 


tacked  by  Indians  on  their  return.  Col.  Johnson  refused 
to  send  men  for  that  purpose,  but  paraded  his  company 
and  called  for  volunteers.  Maj.  Bailey  and  twelve 
privates  volunteered  to  go.  But  the  company  being 
still  very  Small,  Col.  Johnson  agreed  to  send  a  detach- 
ment up  the  river  and  meet  Maj.  Brown's  company 
at  Green's  mill.  Upon  this  assurance,  the  settlers  left 
Ottawa  and  followed  the  river  up  as  far  as  Green's, 
but  no  tidings  came  to  them  of  Col.  Johnson's  detach- 
ment. Returning  to  Holclernian's  grove,  they  found 
everything  laid  waste.  The  settlement  there  was  a 
scene  of  complete  devastation  and  ruin.  They  pro- 
ceede4  to  Plainfield,  and  found  the  garrison  in  a  state 
of  great  alarm,  occasioned  by  the  news  of  the  mas- 
sacre at  Indian  creek.  The  women,  who  appeared 
the  more  courageous,  provided  the  company  with  a 
good  supper,  and  they  remained  there  until  next  day. 
In  the  morning  the  settlement  was  abandoned,  and  all 
started  for  Chicago,  except  a  preacher  by  the  name  of 
Paine.  He  refused  to  accompany  them,  as  he  had, 
from  some  cause,  conceived  the  notion  that  the  settlers 
at  Chicago  had  all  been  murdered.  He  started  in  the 
direction  of  Holdennan's  grove,  but  was  found  mur- 
dered some  days  afterward,  with  one  scalp  torn  from 
his  head  and  another  from  his  face.  Paine  was  wont 
to  wear  a  very  heavy  beard,  which  accounts  for  the 
scalp  being  taken  from  his  face.  There  is  a  tradition 
of  this  brutal  affair,  which  informs  us  that  the  Indians 
cut  off  Paine's  head  and  carried  it  with  them,  suppos- 
ing, from  the  appearance  given  to  the  face  by  its  long 
beard,  that  they  had  killed  one  of  the  gods  of  the 
whites. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  23 

The  settlers  all  reached  Chicago  the  same  day  on 
which  they  left  Plainfield. 

The  Scott  families,  which  should  have  been  noticed 
in  another  place,  did  not  abandon  their  claims  at  the 
Forks,  until  some  time  after  the  inhabitants  fled  from 
the  settlement.  A  son  of  Robinson,  an  Indian  chief 
of  the  Pottawattomie  tribe,  was  living  with  them,  and 
they  knew  that,  in  case  of  actual  danger  from  the  Sacs, 
the  boy  would  be  taken  away.  When  he  was  removed, 
they  concluded  there  would  be  no  safety  in  remaining 
longer,  and  thereupon  followed  in  the  trail  of  their 
affrighted  neighbors,  to  Fort  Dearborn. 

Not  long  after,  a  scouting  party  of  twenty-five 
horsemen  started  for  the  settlement;  their  object 
being  to  ascertain  whether  any  of  the  enemy  had 
been  there,  and  to  look  after  the  property  of  the  set- 
tlers. This  expedition  was  placed  under  the  command 
of  Col.  B.  Beaubien.  They  left  Chicago  in  the  mom- 
ing,  and  at  noon  reached  the  O'Plain-  river,  where 
they  found  Robert  Kinzie,  with  fifty  Indians  under  his 
command. 

An  arrangement  was  made,  by  which  it  was  agreed 
that  the  Indians,  under  Captain  Kinzie,  should  pro- 
ceed by  the  direct  trail  to  the  settlement,  and  the 
mounted  company  should  proceed  to  the  same  place 
by  way  of  Capt.  Boardmaii's,  to  look  after  the  property 
there. 

It  was  expected  that  the  latter  party  would  arrive 
at  the  settlement  some  time  before  the  former.  Beau- 
bien's  company  urged  their  horses  on  as  fast  as  possi- 
ble, and  in  a  few  hours  arrived  at  Ellsworth's  grove. 
The  skirt  of  timber,  which  then  extended  over  nearly 


24  HISTORY    OF 


the  whole  area  of  the  present  village  of  Naperville, 
concealed  the  settlement  from  their  view,  but  to  their 
surprise,  and  we  might  add,  to  the  dismay  of  some, 
smoke  was  seen  rising  from  the  place  where  Paper's 
house  was  situated.  A  halt  was  called,  and  by  some 
of  the  company,  most  willingly  obeyed.  A  hasty  con- 
sultation followed,  and  John  Naper,  -who  was  ever 
ready  to  "  don  armor  and  .break  a  lance"  in  the  cause 
of  his  friends,  volunteered  to  ride  around  the  point  of 
timber,  and  ascertain  whether  the  settlement  was  in 
the  posse'ssion  of  friend  or  foe.  In  case  he  should 
meet  with  friends,  he  was  to  discharge  his  rifle,  to 
notify  his  waiting  and  anxious  comrades  of  that  fact. 
But  if  foes  were  encountered,  he  was  to  return  imme- 
diately to  the  company.  His  progress  was  watched 
with  no  small  degree  of  interest,  until  he  passed  be- 
hind the  point  of  timber,  out  of  sight.  Soon  the 
reports  of  two  guns  were  heard,  and  l^aper  did  not 
make  his  appearance.  In  all  probability  he  was  shot, 
and  the  alarm  among  the  company  increased.  There 
was  no  means  of  telling  how  numerous  the  enemy 
might  be,  nor  how  soon  the  sharp  report  of  the  rifle 
might  be  their  own  death-knell. 

Two  of  the  company,  one  of  whom  was  mounted 
on  a  pack  mule,  and  the  other  on  a  diminutive  pack 
pony,  belonging  to  the  American  Fur  Company, 
manifested  considerable  uneasiness,  as  they  had  found 
by  actual  experience  that  neither  of  their  animals  was 
very  remarkable  for  speed,  and  knew  that  in  case  of 
flight  they  must  inevitably  fall  in  the  rear,  and  become 
an  easy  prey  to  their  pursuers.  They  considered  dis- 
cretion as  the  better  part  of  valor,  and  "  self-preserva 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  25 

tion  the  first  law  of  nature,'"  and,  suiting  their  action 
to  the  consideration,  hobbled  off  toward  the  East 
Branch  timber.  They  had  not  gone  far  when  they 
were  discovered  by  Col.  Beaubien,  who  rode  on  after 
them,  loudly  vociferating,  "  Halt !  halt !"  They  did 
not  heed  the  command,  but  concentrated  all  their 
efforts  to  get  out  of  his  way.  Beaubien  put  spurs  to 
his  horse  and  soon  ran  them  down.  Coming  up  to 
them  he  drew  a  pistol,  and,  presenting  it,  uttered  the 
effective  condition  and  conclusion,  "  You  run  ?  By 
gar!  you  run,  me  shoot  you!"  The  argument  was 
irresistable,  and  the  fugitives  were  captured  and 
brought  back.  R.  !N".  Murray,  who  was  with  the 
company,  being  well  mounted,  started  to  go  and  ascer- 
tain what  had  become  of  Naper ;  but  he  had  gone  only 
a  short  distance  when  John  made  his  appearance  and 
gave  the  signal  that  friends  were  in  the  camp  ;  which 
signal  was  greeted  with  a  shout  as  joyous  as  any  that 
ever  broke  the  silence  of  that  grove.  On  entering  the 
settlement  it  was  ascertained  that  the  Indians  under 
Capt.  Kinzie  had  accomplished  the  journey  before 
them,  and  had  fired  the  two  guns  as  a  salute  to  the 
gallant  ISTaper,  as  he  rode  fearlessly  into  the  camp. 
The  company  had  been  out  all  day,  and  were  very 
hungry,  but  nothing  could  be  found  at  the  settle- 
ment in  the  way  of  provisions.  Among  the  cattle 
feeding  on  the  prairie  was  a  fine,  fat  steer,  belonging 
to  R.  M.  Sweet,  and  it  was  decided  that  it  should  be 
slaughtered  for  their  evening's  repast.  The  cattle 
were  all  very  wild,  and  ran  off  in  fright  whenever 
they  were  approached,  so  that  the  only  method  of 
securing  the  young  steer  was  by  shooting  it.  The 
o 


HISTORY    OF 


Indians  being  anxious  to  undertake  this  part  of  the 
project,  about.fifty  of  them  were  provided  with  rifles, 
and  they  sallied  forth  toward  the  place  where  the 
herd  was  feeding,  capering  and  cutting  all  kinds  of 
antics  as  they  went  along.  As  they  approached  the 
herd  their  victim  was  singled  out,  and  two  or  three 
shots  were  fired  without  taking  effect.  The  affrighted 
animal  ran  bellowing  over  the  field,  closely  pressed  by 
his  assailants,  who  kept  up  a  continual  fire  upon  him, 
until  the  whole  round  had  been  discharged. 

Of  the  fifty  shots  directed  toward  the  animal,  none . 
proved  mortal.  A  rifle  ball,  however,  more  fatally 
lodged,  sent  a  tremor  through  his  frame,  and  caused 
him  to  slacken  his  pace.  The  chase  continued  for 
some  time,  when  the  animal,  in  attempting  to  cross  a 
slough,  became  mired  and  was  easily  taken.  "  Wai- 
seemed  a  civil  game,"  compared  to  the  uproar  that 
followed  the  fall  of  this  hero.  And  as  they  bore  him 
upon  their  shoulders  triumphantly  into  the  camp,  one 
would  have  supposed,  from  the  infernal  yelling  and 
screeching  of  those  Indians,  which 

"  Embowel'd  with  outrageous  noise  the  air," 

that  Milton's  deep-throated  engines  were  again  let 
loose  with  a  certainty.  They  all  shared  the  triumph, 
and  each  celebrated  the  capture  of  the  'steer  as  his 
own  special  achievement.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
vainglorious  vaporing  of  these  rude  sons  of  the  forest, 
as  they  strutted  about  and  exulted  in  the  heroism  of 
the  adventure.  The  animal  was  properly  dressed,  and 
portions  of  the  meat  were  prepared  for  supper,  of  which 
all  partook  with  a  good  degree  of  relish. 


DU     PAGE     COUNTY.  f  27 

After  supper  the  log  store  was  broken  open  and 
found  to  contain,  among  other  things,  a  good  supply 
of  the  two  staple  articles  of  pioneer  merchandise,  viz. : 
rum  and  tobacco.  These  were  dealt  out  profusely  to 
the  "Indians  as  a  reward  for 'their  valorous  conduct  in 
the  evening  chase.  The  company  remained  at  the 
settlement  during  the  night.  Li  the  evening,  to  vary 
the  monotony  a  little,  they  prevailed  upon  the  Indians 
to  get  up  a  war  dance.  This  performance,  when  dra- 
matically considered,  is  strictly  tragic,  but  it  must  be 
admitted  that  the  "bill"  for  that  evening  had  a  fair 
sprinkling  of  the  comic.  Scalping  scenes  and  toma- 
hawk scenes  were  presented  in  the  most  approved 
Indian  fashion,  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  a  small 
but  "  highly  respectable  audience."  At  a  late  hour 
the  whole  company  retired,  each  individual  selecting 
his  "site"  without  respect  to  the  complexion  of  his 
neighbor. 

In  the  morning  the  company  under  Beaubien  arose 
with  an  impatient  desire  to  meet  the  enemy.  They 
had  slept  off  the  fatigue  of  the  previous  day,  and  their 
desire  for  conflict  returned  with  redoubled  force  with 
the  restoration  of  their  bodily  energies.  They  resolved 
upon  committing  havoc  among  the  Sacs,  and  fearing 
that  they  might,  in  some  unguarded  moment,  slay 
some  of  their  friends,  the  Pottawattomies,  by  mistake, 
they  went  again  to  the  old  log  store  and  procured  a 
piece  of  cotton  sheeting,  which  they  tore  into  small 
strips  and  tied  around  the  head  and  waist  of  each 
friendly  Indian.  Thus  decorated,  they  left  the  party 
of  Capt.  Ivinzie,  and  started  for  the  Big  Woods.  The 
prairies  were  scoured,  but  not  an  Indian,  nor  trace  <>f 
an  Indian.  \vas  to  be  found. 


28  HISTORY    OF 


The  company  returned  to  the  settlement  sadly 
dejected  at  the  ill  success  of  their  Quixotic  adven- 
ture, and  started  for  Chicago  on  the  following  morn- 
ing. Nothing  transpired  on  the  way  worthy  of  notice, 
except  that  the  company  rode  as  far  as  Brush  Hill 
constantly  expecting  to  suffer  the  inconvenience  of 
being  shot,  through  the  carelessness  of  one  of  its 
members,  a  young  man  then  fresh  from  New  York 
City,  but  now  an  individual  of  some  distinction  in 
Chicago  City.  He  accidentally  discharged  his  piece 
three  times  before  reaching  Brush  Hill.  The  guns 
were  strapped  to  the  saddles  in  a  horizontal  position, 
and  the  chances  were  that  the  young  man's  random 
shots  would  take  effect,  if  he  was  allowed  the  range 
of  the  whole  company  much  longer.  Arriving  at 
Brush  Hill  and  attempting  to  dismount,  bang !  went 
his  gun  again.  This  aroused  the  ire  of  Col.  Beaubien. 
He  could  endure  it  no  longer,  and  commanded  the 
youth  to  surrender  up  his  arms.  This  the  young  man 
stoutly  refused  to  do,  whereupon  Col.  Beaubien  made 
a  violent  descent  upon  him,  threw  him  down,  and 
after  a  short  struggle  succeeded  114  wresting  the  gun 
from  his  grasp,  after  which  there  was  no  more  "firing 
on  parade"  that  day. 

A  short  time  after,  Capt.  Naper,  Capt.  II.  Boardman, 
and  some  ten  or  twelve  others,  went  out  from  Chicago 
to  the  settlement  to  examine  the  crops.  Nothing  had 
been  disturbed,  and  the  crops  were  found  in  good 
condition.  From  the  settlement  they  went  to  Ottawa, 
to  obtain  from  Gen.  Atkinson,  who  was  stationed  there 
with  about  fifty  men,  assistance  to  build  a  fort  at  the 
Naper  settlement.  Gen.  Atkinson  dispatched  the 
company  under  Capt.  Paine  sit  Joliet,  to  aid  them  in 


DU     PAGE    COUNTY.  29 

the  enterprise.     They  proceeded  to  the  Naper  settle- 
ment and  erected   a  fort  near  the  honse  of  Lewis 
Ellsworth,  and  in  honor  of  the  captain  of  the  company 
dispatched  to  aid  them,  called  it  Fort  Paine.     The  fort 
was  built  of  pickets,  with  two  block  houses,  and  so 
constructed  that  it  could  be  defended  from  an  attack 
on  either  side.     An  incident  occurred  just  before  the 
completion  of  this  fort,  which  threw  a  gloom  over  the 
minds  of  the  settlers,  and  excited  fears  which  had  been 
entirely  allayed  by  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  protection. 
Two  men,  named  Brown  and  Buckley,  were  sent  to 
Sweet's  grove  to  procure  a  load  of  shingles.     They 
had  gone  as  far  -as  the  grove,  north  of  the  Beaubien 
place,  when  Buckley  got  out  of  the  wagon  to  open  a 
passage  in  the  fence.     Brown  drove  through  into  the 
field,   and   the   team  continued   to   move   on,  while 
Buckley  walked  leisurely  along  behind.     Suddenly 
the  sharp  report  of  a  rifle  was  heard  from  an  adjoining 
thicket,  and  Buckley  saw  his  comrade  fall  dead  from 
the  wagon.     Terrified  and  bewildered  he  fled  toward 
the  settlement.     He  reached  the  fort  with  scarcely 
strength  to  communicate  the  melancholy  tidings  to 
his  sorrowing  companions.     About  twenty  men  left 
the  fort  and  'proceeded  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster. 
The  hdrses  had  been  stripped  of  their  harness  and 
taken  away,  and  the  body  of  Brown  was  found  near 
the  wagon,  pierced  with  three  balls.     It  was  -brought 
to  the  fort  and  buried.     The  trail  of  the  Indians  was 
followed,   but  they  had  fled  beyond  the  reach   of 
pursuit. 

As   much    alarm    now   prevailed   throughout  the 
company,   it  was    decided    that    Oapt.   Naper    and 


30  HIS  T  O  It  Y     OF 


Alanson  Sweet,  should  start  that  night  for  Chicago 
to  procure  more  men.  They  started  on  horseback, 
but  Sweet's  horse  giving  out,  he  was  obliged  to 
journey  on  foot.  An  incident  occurred  during  this 
trip,  which  strikingly  exhibits  the  force  of  a  capri- 
cious imagination,  and  the  liability  to  deception  when 
that  faculty  is  unduly  excited.  They  were  approach- 
ing Flag  creek,  when  Sweet  affirmed  that  he  saw  two 
Indians,  one  on  foot  and  the  other  on  horseback,  and 
proposed  to  let  Capt.  Naper  go  on  with  his  horse 
while  he  concealed  himself  in  the  grass.  The  Cap- 
tain's attention  was  directed  to  the  objects,  and  they 
bore  the  same  appearance  to  him.  He  requested 
Sweet  to  mount  behind  him,  that  they  might  both 
move  toward  them.  He  did  so,  and  they  rode  on. 
As  they  passed  along,  the  path  deviated  to  the  right, 
and  the  objects  began  to  separate.  This  confirmed 
them  in  their  impression,  and  Sweet  declared  that 
they  were  Indians,  for  he  could  see  them  move. 
After  going  several  rods  they  turned  and  rode  back 
the  same  path,  and  then  the  objects  began  to  approach 
each  other,  and  when  they  had  arrived  at  the  place 
where  Sweet  mounted,  the  Indians  had  resumed 
their  first  position.  This  little  experiment  convinced 
them  of  their  delusion,  and  they  rode  .bravely  on. 
The  objects  were  found  to  be  two  trees  of  different 
heights,,  a  mile  distant,  and  half  a  mile  apart.  They 
reached  Chicago  early  next  morning,  and  asked  assist- 
ance from  Gen.  Williams,  who  was  there  with  three 
hundred  troops  from  Michigan,  but  he  refused  to  fur- 
nish it, "as  he  did  not  deem  it  safe  to  send  men  into 
the  country  at  that  time.  At  length  Maj.  Wilson 


BU    PAGE    COUNTY.  31 

ijiformed  Capt.  Naper,  that  if  Gen.  Williams  would 
consent,  lie  would  take  some  of  his  men  and  return 
with  him  to  the  settlement.  Whereupon,  a  council 
of  officers  was  held,  but  it  was  deemed  unsafe  for  any 
to  go,  even  as  volunteers.  Capt.  Naper  then  left 
Chicago  and  returned  much  disheartened  to  the 
settlement. 

There  being  no  better  alternative,  the  settlers  re- 
solved to  remain  where  they  were,  and  acting  wisely 
upon  this  resolution,  placed  themselves  in  the  best 
possible  position  for  defense.  Scouting  parties  we,re 
frequently  sent  out  to  range  the  surrounding  country, 
but  no  skirmishes  were  had  with  the  Indians.  The 
nearest  approach  to  an  encounter  with  the  enemy 
took  place  on  the  Fourth  of  July.  Fired  with  the 
patriotic  spirit  which  animated  the  sires  of  Seventy- 
Six,  a  small  party  shouldered  their  muskets,  and  set 
forth  to  scour  the  surrounding  country  in  pursuit  of 
adventure.  After  a  fatiguing  day's  march  the  party 
arrived  at  the  Au  Sable  grove,  without  having  an 
opportunity  for  the  slightest  display  of  their  pent-up 
valor.  Here  they  encamped  for  the  night.  After 
supper  they  drew  around  the  camp  fire,  and  John 
Naper  became  the  oracle  of  the  evening.  His 
anecdotes  and  tales  of  adventurous  deeds  and  noble 
daring,  kept  the  whole  party  wide  awake  and  in  good 
cheer  far  into  the  night,  when  the  "  meeting  "  broke 
up,  and  deep  sleep  soon  assumed  the  sovereignty  of 
the  camp.  In  the  morning  breakfast  was  prepared, 
and  after  enjoying  the  repast  preparations  were  being 
made  to  depart.  Willard  Scott,  who  from  early 
associations  had  become  skilled  in  backwoods  craft, 


32  H  I  S  T  O  K  Y    O  F 


and 'regarded  every  track  with  the  knowing  eye  of  an 
Indian,  was  a  member  of  the  company.  As  they 
were  about  to  leave  the  place,  he  discovered  what 
appeared  to  him  to  be  a  fresh  Indian  trail,  and  upon 
further  examination  decided,  that  two  Indians  accom- 
panied by  a  boy  had  recently  passed  near  the  encamp- 
ment. This  intelligence  aroused  the  depressed  spirits 
of  the  whole  party,  and  all  were  eager  for  pursuit. 
The  trail  was  followed  with  some  difficulty  to  the 
river  bank,  opposite  the  village  encampment  of  the 
Pottawattomies.  Here  from  certain  indications  on 
the  stones  and  sand,  Mr.  Scott  knew  the  Indians  had 
crossed  the  stream.  A  council  of  war  was  now  held, 
and  the  plan  adopted  of  crossing  and  riding  rapidly 
up  the  opposite  bank,  and  if  the  Indians  were  then  in 
view  they  could  be  easily  surprised  and  taken.  The 
word  for  starting  was  given,  and  a  general  stampede 
ensued.  John  Naper  was  the  first  to  reach  the 
opposite  bank  and  announce  that  the  Indians  were  in 
sight.  They  were  standing  upon  the  roof  of  a 
wigwam,  evidently  watching  for  the  direction  of  their 
pursuers.  As  soon  as  John  made  his  appearance  they 
leaped  quickly  to  the  ground,  made  oif  toward  the 
river  and  were  soon  out  of  sight.  The  party  hastened 
to  the  spot  and  followed  their  trail  to  the  river.  They 
had  evidently  crossed  to  the  opposite  bank,  and  the 
party  recrdssed  in  pursuit,  but  no  further  trace  of 
their  progress  could  be  found.  After  making  diligent 
search,  and  having  abandoned  all  hope  of  again  find- 
ing the  trail,  the  company  sat  down  and  partook  of 
some  refreshments  from  their  knapsacks,  and  soon 
after  made  their  way  back  to  the  settlement,  some- 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  33 

what  chagrined  at  being  compelled  to  surrender  to 
the  artifice  of  their  wily  fugitives.  The  Indians 
eluded  them  by  crossing  to  a  small  island  in  the 
stream,  upon  which  was  a  cluster  of  trees.  Having 
climbed  one  of  the  tallest  trees  and  concealed  them- 
selves among  its  branches,  they  sat  and  viewed  the 
maneuvers  of  their  vanquished  pursuers  with  the 
greatest  glee.  They  afterward  related  the  whole 
affair  to  Robinson,  a  chief  of  the  Pottawattomies,  and 
arrogated  to  themselves  a  vast  amount  of  credit  for 
having  so  successfully  eluded  the  sharp  eye  of  "White 
Eagle,"  an  appellation  which  they  applied  to  Mr. 
Scott.  This  title  originated  from  the  following  cir- 
cumstance :  Mr.  David  McKee,  an  acquaintance  of 
Mr.  Scott,  had,  in  his  deal  with  the  Indians,  received 
a  buck-skin  coat  from  one  'of  them  as  a  pledge  for 
certain  goods  sold  to  him.  A  time  at  which  the  coat 
was  to  be  redeemed  was  fixed  by  the  parties,  but 
when  it  arrived  the  Indian  did  not  make  his  appear- 
ance, and  the  coat  therefore  became  the  property  of 
Mr.  McKee.  It  was  subsequently  sold  to  Mr.  Scott. 

Several  months  after,  Mr.  McKee,  having  occassion 
to  visit  an  Indian  settlement  near  Racine,  for  the 
purpose  of  trading  with  them,  Mr.  Scott  accompanied 
him.  Among  the  Indians  in  the  settlement,  they 
found  the  one  from  whom  McKee  had  received  the 
coat.'  Seeing  the  article  in  Mr.  Scott's  possession,  he 
instantly  demanded  that  it  should  be  given  up.  He 
wa£  told  that  he  could  have  it  by  paying  the  sum  for 
which  it  was  left  in  pledge,  but  this  lie  refused  to  do, 
at  the  same  time  persisting  in  his  demand  for  an 

unconditional   surrender  of  the  garment.     Upon   iv- 
9* 


34  HISTORY    OF 


ceiving  a  peremptory  refusal,  he  threatened  to  take  it 
by  force.  This  considerably  aroused  the  ire  of  Mr. 
Scott,  and  he  told  him,  that  if  he  wanted  the  coat,  he 
might  try  the  expediency  of  taking  it  from  him.  Upon 
this,  the  Indian  left  them,  threatening  him  with  great 
vengeance,  and  promising  to  return  immediately  with 
a  sufficient  force  to  take  the  coat  from  his  back. 

He  soon  returned,  accompanied  "by  some  fifty  or 
sixty  of  his  companions,  all  fully  armed,  and  painted 
in  the  most  barbarous  manner.  Their  appearance  was 
enough  to  terrify  any  one  who  was  unaccustomed  to 
the  stratagems  to  which  Indians  resort  to  carry  their 
ends.  As  they  approached,  Scott  and  McKee  gathered 
up  their  arms,  and  stood  in  a  defensive  attitude,  con- 
fronting the  whole  party.  The  Indian  who  claimed 
the  coat  advanced  and  demanded  it,  threatening  their 
destruction  if  again  refused.  Mr.  Scott  boldly  informed 
him  that  the  coat  was  on  his  back,  and  if  he  wanted  it 
he  must  take  it  off.  In  the  mean  time,  a  young  Indian 
chief,  who  was  acquainted  with  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  came  and  took  a  position  with  them,  saying  that 
he  would  stand  by  them  in  any  emergency.  The 
Indians  then  set  up  a  most  unearthly  howling,  and 
continued  for  some  time  to  dance  around  them,  flour- 
ishing their  tomahawks,  and  trying  to  intimidate  them 
with  the  most  awful  threats  and  frightful  grimaces. 
At  last,  finding  their  efforts  to  obtain  the  coat  unavail- 
ing, they  withdrew,  leaving  Scott  and  McKee  in  full 
possession  of  the  field.  From  that  day  afterward 
they  always  addressed  Mr.  Scott  as  "  "White  Eagle,"  a 
title  which  belonged  to  none  but  the  bravest.  Although 
the  stand  taken  by  the  young  Indian  chief  in  their  favor 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  35 

may  have  saved  them  their  lives,  yet  it  is  not  supposed 
that  the  Indians  designed  to  do  anything  more  than  to 
frighten  them  into  a  surrender  of  the  coat. 

Mr.  Scott,  from  a  long  intercourse  with  them,  had 
become  pretty  well  inured  to  their  trickery,  and  was 
not  easily  deceived  by  appearances.  He  had  lived 
among  them  and  hunted  with  them,  until  he  came  to 
look  upon  many  of  their  "signs  and  tokens"  with 
considerable  credulity.  Among  other  practices,  com- 
mon among  these  Indians,  was  that  of  leaving  pipes 
filled  with  tobacco  in  certain  places  on  their  hunting 
grounds,  whenever  they  had  bad  luck,  that  the  Great 
Spirit  might  come  and  smoke,  by  which  they  supposed 
his  favor  was  secured,  and  that  they  would  consequently 
have  more  favorable  fortune.  This  device  was  employed 
by  Mr.  Scott,  on  one,  occasion,  with  marked  success.  A 
company  started  from  the  settlement  for  an  afternoon's 
foray  in  the  East  Branch  timber.  It  was  a  luckless 
expedition,  and  night  came  on,  finding  them  entirely 
destitute  of  game.  Between  sundown  and  dark  the 
hunters  assembled  to  set  out  together  for  the  settle- 
ment. Mr.  Scott  now  produced  his  pipe,  filled  it  with 
tobacco,  applied  a  match  to  it,  and  placed  it  very  mys- 
teriously in  the  crotch  of  a  tree.  The  party  started, 
Mr.  Scott  riding  some  distance  in  the  rear  of  the  main 
body.  He  had  not  gone  far  wrhen  a  beautiful,  fat  deer 
sprang  from  a  thicket  and  crossed  the  path  just  before 
him.  He  leveled  his  rifle,  and  sent  a  ball  whizzing 
through  its  heart.  Before  his  gun  was  fairly  loaded, 
another  appeared,  which  met  the  same  fate.  The 
report  of  his  rifle  brought  back  the  main  party,  who, 
upon  witnessing  the  feat  he  had  performed,  were  no 


36  II  I  S  T  .O  K  Y    O  F 


longer  inclined  to  ridicule  the  idea  of  feeding  the 
"  Great  Spirit "  with  tobacco. 

About  this  time  Messrs.  Hobson,  Goodwin,  .Board- 
man,  and  Strong,  were  returning  from  Chicago  with 
two  ox  teams.  Hobson  and  Goodwin  were  riding  in 
one  wagon,  and  Boardman  and  Strong  in  the  other. 
It  was  a  warm  summer's  day,  and  Strong  laid  down  in 
the  wagon  and  fell  asleep.  Discovering  that  his  com- 
panion was  taking  a  nap,  and  ever  on  the  qui  vive  for 
a  little  fan,  Boardman  called  to  Hobson  to  come  and 
tire  his  gun  near  Strong's  head,  and  see  what  the  effect 
would  be.  Hobson  brought  his  gun  and  discharged  it 
as  directed,  when  Strong,  suddenly  awakened  by  the 
report,  and  supposing  himself  beset  with  Indians,  made 
a  desperate  attempt  to  go  down  through  the  bottom 
boards  of  the  wagon  box.  The  joke  was  now  on 
Strong,  and  after  the  "laugh"  had  subsided,  they 
drove  on.  By  and  by  Strong  concluded  to  try  Hob- 
son's  courage.  A  plan  was  secretly  devised  between 
him  and  Goodwin,  by  which  Strong  was  to  secrete 
himself  in  a  thicket  some  distance  ahead,  and  when 
Hobson  came  along,  get  up  some  demonstrations  that 
would  lead  him  to  think  that  there  were  Indians  there. 
As  Hobson's  team  approached  the  place,  the  war  whoop 
was  sounded,  and  one  or  two  shots  fired.  Goodwin 
"manifested  extreme  terror,  and  seizing  both  guns,  ran 
off,  leaving  Mr.  Hobson  alone,  with  nothing  to  defend 
himself  but  an  ox  whip.  But  he  was  not  to  be  intimi- 
dated, and,  without  altering  his  course,  rode  past  the 
thicket,  standing  erect  in  his  wagon,  with  a  fixed  and 
searching  look  upon  the  place  from  which  the  "  mani- 
festations" proceeded. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  37 

Strong  abandoned  the  idea  of  attempting  again  to 
frighten  Hobson,  and  Goodwin  was  coolly  informed, 
that  if  he  ever  meddled  with  Hobson's  rifle  again,  he 
would  stand  the  chance  of  getting  his  own  brains 
blowed  out. 

Of  the  condition  of  the  families  at  Fort  Dearborn 
nothing  has  yet  been  said.  We  have  been  informed 
by  some  who  went  there,  that  it  seemed  as  though  they 
were  to  be  shut  up  to  starve,  if  not  to  be  slaughtered 
by  the  Indians,  having,  in  their  hasty  flight,  taken  but 
a  scant  supply  of  provisions,  and  there  being  little  or 
nothing  to  be  had  in  Chicago.  For  a  time  the  garri- 
son was  supplied  with  beef  by  Claybourne,  who  was 
employed  to  butcher  for  the  Pottawattomies  by  govern- 
ment, but  the  meat  was  so  poor  that  necessity  alone 
could  have  compelled  them  to  use  it.  Among  the 
families  in  the  fort  was  that  of  a  Mr.  Harris,  who  lived 
at  Hollenbeck's  grove.  At  the  time  of  the  alarm,  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Harris,  a  very  aged  man,  was  too  feeble 
to  make  his  escape  unassisted.  He  begged  them  to 
leave  him  and  make  their  escape,  if  possible,  saying 
that  if  the  Indians  killed  him,  they  would  only  rob 
him  of  a  few  years.  He  was  left  alone,  and  four  days 
elapsed  before  they  were  enabled  to  return,  prepared 
to  remove  him.  The  Indians  had  visited  the  house  in 
the  mean  time,  but  did  not  attempt  to  molest  him,  nor 
anything  about  the  premises.  "When  the  regular  troops 
came  on  from  Michigan,  the  settlers  were  ordered  to 
quit  the  fort,  and  every  hovel  that  would  afford  a  shel- 
ter was  immediately  crowded  with  occupants.  At  this 
time  there  were  several  women  and  children  in  the 
tort  whose  husbands  and  fathers  were  at  the  .Naper 


38  11  I  S  T  O  R  Y    O  F 


settlement,  building  the  fort  there.  These  would  have 
been  turned  out  of  doors,  had  it  not  been  for  the  en- 
treaty and  expostulation  of  the  volunteer  company. 
By  an  exceedingly  liberal  provision,  Mrs.  Hawley  and 
six  children,  Mrs.  Blodgett  and  four  children,  and  Mrs. 
Hobson  and  five  children,  were  allowed  to  occupy  an 
upper  room  in  the  establishment,  about  ten  feet  square. 
Any  one  can  calculate  the  space  occupied  by  each  for 
a  bed.  Here  they  remained  for  ten  days,  before  they 
could  make  their  situation  known  to  their  husbands. 
The  Indians  did  not  appear  near  the  fort  at  any  time 
during  their  stay,  although  the  garrison  was  one  day 
thrown  into  great  excitement  by  a  false  alarm.  This 
afforded  an  opportunity  to  test  the  courage  of  the 
inmates,  who,  with  one.  exception,  proved  undaunted. 
It  is  said  that  a  gentleman  who  made  bravery  his  boast, 
was  missing  for  six  or  eight  hours  after  the  alarm, 
when  he  was  found  snugly  ensconced  under  a  feather- 
bed, but  in  a  state  of  great  trepidation. 

In  July  the  command  of  Gen.  Scott  passed  on  to 
Dixon,  and  the  main  army  soon  followed.  With  the 
government  troops  between  them  and  their  foe,  the 
settlers  had  no  further  cause  to  fear.  The  families 
were  brought  back  from  Fort  Dearborn,  and  placed  in 
and  near  the  fort — those  of  Mr.  Scott,  Capt.  Boardman, 
Mr.  Hobson,  and  John  Naper,  occupying  a  log  house 
near  by.  Here  they  remained  without  molestation 
until  after  the  battle  of  Bad  Axe,  which  put  an  end  to 
the  Black  Hawk  war.  This  took  place  in  September. 
All  apprehension  of  danger  was  now  at  an  end.  The 
settlers  resumed  their  claims,  and,  in  uninterrupted 
peace  and  prosperity,  many  of  them  have  lived  to 
enjoy  the  abundant  fruits  of  their  valiant  pioneership. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  39 


RELATIVE    TO  THE 

OLD  «  CLAIM  FEUDS,"  ETC. 

AFTER  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  the  tide 
of  immigration  again  turned  to  Illinois,  and  this  county 
received  its  proportion  of  new  settlers. 

The  first  settlers  selected,  of  course,  the  best  loca- 
"tions,  which  were  adjacent  to  the  timber.  The  upland, 
or  dry  prairie,  was  usually  selected  in  preference  to 
the  low  and  wet,  and  especially  preferred  wherever 
good  facilities  for  obtaining  water  were  offered. 

The  houses  of  the  first  settlers  were  usually  built 
near  the  timber.  Scarcely  any  were  to  be  found  upon 
the  prairie  prior  to  183T.  All  the  timber  land  was 
"'claimed"'  before  1835,  but  some  of  the  prairie  land 
in  our  county,  which,  at  that  day,  was  considered  almost 
worthless,  on  account  of  its  being  inconvenient  to  tim- 
ber, was  never  claimed  by  the  squatters.  Many  diffi- 
culties arose  among  the  settlers  in  relation  to  the 
boundaries  and  priority  of  the  claims  of  parties. 

Troubles  of  this  kind  are  incident  to  the  early  set- 
tlement of  any  country,  where  the  settlement  precedes 
the  survey  of  the  land  by  government.  The  difficulties 
here,  as  elsewhere,  created  bitter  feelings  of  animosity 
between  neighbors,  and,  in  too  many  instances,  these 
feelings  have  not  been  allayed  even  to  the  present  day ; 
and  we  often  hear  disparaging  remarks  made  by  one 


40  HISTORY    OF 


respecting  another,  which,  when  traced  to  their  origin, 
are  found  to  emanate  from  the  old  "  claim  feuds."  Nor 
-  were  these  quarrels  confined  to  words  alone.  Many 
bloody  combats  occurred  between  belligerent  parties ; 
the  one  being  usually  the  first  claimant,  the  other,  one 
who  had  "jumped  the  claim."  Although  blood  was 
freely  spilled  during  these  contests,  yet,  with  the  ex- ' 
ception  of  but  one  instance,  which  will  be  referred  to 
hereafter,  no  lives  were  sacrificed.  Sometimes  the 
party  in  the  wrong  was  driven  from  the  field  by  the 
rightful  claimant,  assisted  by  his  neighbors ;  for  in 
those  days  the  laws  of  Judge  Lynch  were  often  exe- 
cuted in  a  summary  manner.  An  understanding,  or 
implied  agreement,  existed  among  the  settlers,  that 
those  who  obtained  portions  of  the  claims  of  others  by 
preemption,  or  by  purchase  at  the  land  sale,  should 
deed  to  such  claimant  the  part  belonging  to  him.  This 
was  called  an  agreement  to  "deed  and  redeed."  Most 
of  the  land  was  claimed  by  those  who  intended  to  pur- 
chase it,  and  make  a  permanent  home  for  themselves 
and  their  families.  Some  of  it,  however,  was  claimed 
by  what  were  then  called  "  land  sharks."  This  class 
of  men  merely  claimed  the  land  for  the  purpose  of 
selling  it  to  subsequent  settlers,  and  were  not  usually 
protected  in  their  claims  by  those  who  were  always 
ready  to  assist  a  lona  fide  settler.  The  claims  often 
sold  for  prices  which  would,  even  now,  be  considered 
exorbitant  for  the  land.  A  few  of  the  land  sharks 
made  money  by  their  swindling  operations,  but  most 
of  them  can  boast  of  but  little  wealth  at  the  present 
time,  as  they  were  of  that  class  who  spend  their  money 
as  readily  as  they  obtain  it,  and  engage  in  speculations 


DU     PAGE    COUNTY.  41 

more  wild  and  more  dishonorable  than  stealing  land, 
even,  from  actual  settlers. 

A  company  was  formed  somewhere  in  this  county, 
between  1832  and  1835,  which  was  called — for  what 
reason  we  know  not — "The  Land  Pirate  Company." 
This  company  made,  or  caused  to  be  made,  a  claim  in 
the  Big  Woods,  embracing  three  or  four  sections  of  the 
best  timbered  land.  Their  claim  was  inclosed  with  a 
rail  fence,  some  two  or  three  rails  high,  and  a  log  cabin 
was  erected  upon  it.  This  much  they  accomplished 
without  being  molested.  But  unfortunately  for  the 
brilliant  prospects  of  the  company,  who,  no  doubt,  ex- 
pected to  realize  a  splendid  fortune  from  the  sale  of 
their  claim,  the  rails  of  their  inclosure  disappeared  in 
a  most  mysterious  manner;  the  boundaries  soon  be- 
came extremely  indefinite ;  every  feature  of  its  iden- 
tity was  lost ;  and  at  this  day  it  is  divided  into  more 
pieces  than  there  are  states  in  the  union,  furnishing  fuel 
and  timber  to  a  large  community  in  its  vicinity.  Th"e 
land  south  of  the  old  Indian  boundary  line  came  into 
markej  in  1835.  Nearly  all  of  it  was  bought  by  spec- 
ulators, some  bidding  for  it  as  high  as  ten  and  fifteen 
dollars  per  acre.  In  this  way  the  settlers,  in  many 
cases,  were  dispossessed  of  their  claims,  including  all 
their  improvements,  which  had  cost  them  years  of 
labor.  Unable  to  compete  with  the  speculators,  it  was 
impossible  for  them  to  retain  their  lands.  In  view  of 
the  hardships  of  such  cases,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
settling  lines,  and  making  an  express  agreement  with 
each  other  to  carry  out  the  implied  agreement  before 
alluded  to,  the  settlers  at  the  Big  "Wood  formed  a  soci- 
ety, in  1836,  called  "The  Claim  Protecting  Society." 


42  HIS  T  O  K  Y     OF 


It  had  for  its  object,  beside  the  protection  of  the  set- 
tlers against  speculators,  the  settlement  of  all  disputes 
as  to  boundaries.  It  was  provided  that  settlers  whose 
boundaries  were  fixed  beyond  all  dispute,  should  meas- 
ure and  plat  their  claims,  and  file  the  same  with  the 
secretary.  The  other  members  were  then  bound  to 
protect  and  defend  them.  The"  following  preamble  and 
resolutions  are  taken  from  the  records  of  the  Big 
Woods  Claim  Society,  which  was  the  first  society  of 
the  kind  formed  in  this  county  : 

EAST  SIDE  OF  THE  BIG  WOODS,  ) 

Cook  county,  Illinois,  Feb.  6,  1836.J 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  we,  the  undersigned,  inhabitants  of  the 
east  side  of  the  Big  Woods  and  its  vicinity,  have  settled  on  lands  be- 
longing to  the  United  States,  and  who  have  severally  made  their 
respective  claims,  including  timber  and  prairie :  Now,  for  the  peace 
and  tranquility  of  our  said  settlement,  we  do  severally  and  individually 
bind  each  to  the  other,  in  the  penal  sum  of  one-  thousand  dollars,  to 
protect  and  assist  each  other  in  their  respective  claims,  and  to  assist 
each  other  in  keeping  off  all  intruders  that  may  intrude  on  each  other's 
claims,  in  any  way  whatever.  And  we  further  agree  to  deed  and  re- 
deed  to  each  other,  at  government  price,  whenever  our  said  claims  shall 
come  into  market ;  that  is  to  say,  in  case  our  respective  claims  shall  not 
agree  or  correspond  with  the  general  government  survey.  The  true 
intent  and  meaning  of  these  presents  is,  that  we  severally  and  individu- 
ally shall  have  our  lands  according  to  our  said  claims  that  we  now  have 
claimed,  whether  our  claims  shall  correspond  with  the  actual  survey 
or  not.  In  case  any  difficulty  should  hereafter  arise  respecting  any  of 
our  said  claims,  in  any  way  whatever,  we  do  severally  and  individually 
agree  to  let  all  disputes  and  difficulties  be  submitted  to  the  following 
named  persons,  as  a  committee,  who  shall,  or  a  majority  of  them,  and 
their  successors  in  office,  settle  all  kinds  of  disputes  or  difficulties  that 
may  arise  respecting  claims  whatever.  The  following  persons  were  duly 
appointed  as  said  committee: 

DOCT.  LEVI  WARD,  FREDERICK  STOLP, 

A.  E.  CARPENTER,  WILLIAM  J.  STRONG, 

CHARLES  BIDDERS. 


DTI    PAGE     COUNTY. 


N.  B.  AH  claims,  as  respecting  their  size,  both  in  timber  and  prarie, 
shall  be  submitted  to  the  said  committee,  for  them  to  say  whether  any  of 
our  said  claims  are  unreasonable  in  size  or  not  In  case  of  any  intrusion 
that  may  hereafter  arise  with  any  of  our  said  claims,  we  do  severally  and 
individually  agree  to  pay  our  equal  quota  of  expenses  that  may  arise  in 
defense  of  our  claims,  according  to  the  size  and  nature  of  our  claims. 

The  above  meeting  was  held'  at  the  house  of  A.  Culver,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Big  Woods.  JOHN  WARNE,  Secretary. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  members  of  this  society : 

John  Warne,  Elihu  Wright,  George  C.  Howes, 


A.  E.  Carpenter, 
James  Dyer, 
John  Mosier, 
Joseph  Fish, 
J.  M.  Warren, 
John  Maxwell, 
Cornelius  Jones, 
John  Ogden, 
Phineas  Graves, 
Wm.  Hall, 
David  Crane, 
James  Brown, 
Frederick  Stolp, 
Nelson  Murray, 
Taylor  S.  Warne, 
Jesse  B.  Ketchum, 
Barton  Eddy, 
David  McKee, 
J.  S.  P.  Lord, 
Joseph  Wilson, 
Warren  Smith, 
Henry  M.  Waite, 
Lyman  King, 
Luther  Chandler, 
Gilbert  S.  Rouse, 
S.  II.  Arnold, 
Joseph  Stolp, 
Reuben  Austin, 
Charles  Arnold, 
Lcvi  Leach. 


Nazah  Beardsley, 
S.  Hurlbut, 
Darias  J.  Lamphear, 
Walter  Germain, 
-John  B.  Eddy, 
John  Gregg, 
Samuel  Mosier, 
Orrin  W.  Graves, 
B.  Tubbs,  Jr., 
Joseph  Thayer, 
Thomson  Paxton, 
L.  Ward, 
Charles  Brown, 
Charles  Bidders, 
James  Hymes, 
Nathan  Williams, 
Wm.  J.  Strong, 
Robert  Hopkins, 
Jesse  Graves, 
John  Stolp, 
Allen  Williams,   . 
A.  Culver, 
Thomas  N.  Paxton, 
Dennis  Clark, 
Amander  P.  Thomas, 
Alfred  Churchill, 
R.  S.  Ostrander, 
A.  W.  Beardsley, 
George  Laird, 


Samuel  Paxton, 
William  Williams, 
George  Monroe, 
Harvey  Higbee, 
N.  H.  Thomas, 
Enos  Coleman, 
Linus  L.  Coleuian, 
Eli  Northum, 
Zerah  Jones, 
Reuben  Jones, 
George  S.  Blackmail, 
Blackman  &  Winslow, 
William  E.  Bent, 
J.  B.  &  E.  Smith, 
Ira  Woodman, 
Alden  S.  Clifford, 
Wm.  Hill, 
John  Fox, 
Nathan  Williams, 
Alanson  Arnold, 
Eleazer  Blackman, 
Aurin  Ralpli, 
John  Sidders, 
Russel  Whipple, 
Sheffield  Mills, 
Jonas  Lamphear, 
Wm.  R.  Currier, 
Manus  Griswold, 
Isaac  Barnes, 


44  H  I  S  T  O  K  Y     O  F 


We  insert  below  the  record  of  some  of  the  transac- 
tions of  this  body,  and  also  several  decisions  relating 
to  disputed  claims : 

At  a  meeting  this  6th  day  of  August,  A.  D.  1836,  at  the  house  of 
Thomson  Paxton,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Woods,  Cook  county : 

It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  this  be  our  first  annual  meeting, 
and  our  next  annual  meeting  be  held  on  the  6th  of  August  next,  at  1 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  and  to  have  a  regular  meeting  every  six  months,  or  semi- 
annual meeting.  It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  the  following 
named  persons  be  a  new  committee,  and  they  were  duly  elected,  as 
follows :  WILLIAM  J.  STRONG,  THOMSON  PAXTON,  JOHN  GREGG,  WARREN 
SMITH,  FREDERICK  STOLP. 

It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  this  society  be  called  the  BIG 
WOODS  CLAIM  PROTECTING  SOCIETY.  It  was  motioned  and  seconded 
that,  at  our  semi-annual  or  annual  meetings,  in  all  cases  a  majority 
present  shall  have  full  power  to  do  business;  and  further,  that  this 
instrument  shall  not  be  altered,  in  any  case,  except  at  the  annual  or 
semi-annual  meetings. 

It  was  further  motioned  and  seconded,  that  we  bind  our  heirs  and 
assigns.  It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  the  secretary  purchase  a 
book  to  register  our  respective  claims ;  and  further,  it  was  motioned 
and  seconded  that  every  person  shall  present  or  give  a  description  of  his 
or  her  claim,  within  ninety  days  from  this  date,  to  the  secretary,  to  have 
our  respective  claims  recorded  in  a  book  for  that  purpose.  Any  claimant 
not  complying  as  above,  such  claim  by  us  shall  be  considered  null  and 
void.  It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  in  all  cases  where  any  suit  or 
suits  are  investigated  by  the  committee,  the  defaulter  or  trespasser  shall 
pay  all  costs.  It  was  motioned  and  seconded  that  the  penal  sum  of  this, 
our  said  constitution,  shall  be  increased  from  one  to  ten  thousand 
dollars. 

Motioned  and  seconded  that  this  meeting  adjourn  to  the  first  Satur- 
day in  February  next,  at  10  o'clock,  A.  M.,  to  the  house  of  Thomson 
Paxton. 

At  a  meeting  held  this  4th  day  of  February,  1837,  at  the  house  of 
Thomson  Paxton,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Woods,  Cook  county, 
Illinois  :• 

Voted,  That  the  time  be  extended  for  entering  claims,  until  the  next 
annual  meeting ;  that  the  descriptions  handed  in  since  the  time  expired 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  4o 

should  be  received  also,  for  recording.  Voted,  That  no  one  settler  shall 
be  protected  by  this  society  on  a  claim  to  exceed  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres. 

Voted,  That  the  secretary  drop  a  line  to  those  individuals  that  have 
recorded  more  land  than  this  society  will  protect  them  in. 

Voted,  That  no  member  of  our  society  shall  commence  a  suit  at  the 
expense  of  the  society,  without  the  approbation  of  the  committee. 

Voted,  That  a  written  notice  from  one  of  the  committee  shall  be 
given  to  the  defendant,  or  to  his  wife,  previous  to  any  suit  pending 
before  them. 

Voted,  That  our  whole  proceedings,  from  the  commencement,  shall 
be  published  in  the  three  Chicago  newspapers,  and  likewise  in  the  Mil- 
waukee Advocate ;  that  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  draft  or 
prepare  our  proceedings  for  publication.  The  following  named  persons 
were  elected  said  committee :  RUSSELL  WHIPPLE,  ELI  NORTHAM,  WARREN 
SMITH,  including  the  secretary.  * 

Voted,  That  the  secretary  shall  record  all  decisions  made  by  the 
committee  respecting  claims. 

Voted,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  to  the  6th  day  of  August  next,  to 
meet  at  the  house  of  Thomson  Paxton.  « 

DECISIONS   OF   THE   CLAIM    COMMITTEE. 

We,  the  subscribers,  have  taken  into  consideration  the  right  of  claim 
in  dispute  between  J.  Warren  and  J.  Maxwell,  and  award  that  the  1 60 
acres  shall  be  equally  divided  between  said  claimants. 

L.  WARD,  1 

CHARLES  SIDERS,   [PA       ... 
F.  STOLP,  f  Committee,. 

WM.  J.  STRONG,      J 

Cook  county,  Illinois,) 
5th  March,  1836.     f 

It  was  the  decision  of  the  committee  that  Mr.  Warren  has  shown  a 
right  to  the  east  eighty,  by  an  agreement,  and  that  Mr.  Warren,  there- 
fore, has  nothing  more  to  leave  out  with  regard  to  the  above  named  lot. 

WARREN  SMITH,       ~) 

THOMSON   PAXTON,  I  n         -ttat 
T/^UXT  noT-r-n  '  >  Committee. 


JOHN  GREGG, 
F.  STOLP, 


Jan.  17,  1837. 


4:6  HISTORY    OF 


The  committee  agreed  that  the  disputed  quarter  section  within  the 
furrow  between  Williams  and  Himes,  should  be  equally  divided  between 
said  Williams  and  Himes,  the  division  line  to  run  with  the  road.  Wil* 
Hams  shall  take  the  north  half  and  Himes  the  south. 

Entered  Feb.  4,  1837. 

We,  the  committee  of  the  "  BIG  WOODS  CLAIM  PROTECTING  SOCIETY-," 
give  judgment  on  the  case  wherein  James  Dyer  is  plaintiff  and  David 
McKee  defendant;  on  a  lot  of  prairie  east  of  David  McKee's  field.  That 
the  said  David  McKee  pay  the  said  James  Dyer  one  hundred  dollars,  and 
have  all  the  improvements  made  by  the  said  Dyer ;  otherwise,  if  the 
said  David  McKee  refuse  to  pay  the  above  mentioned  sum  to  the  said 
Dyer,  he  shall  have  the  said  lot  of  land  as  his  lawful  claim,  to  dispose  of 
as  his. 

A  society  was  formed  for  similar  objects  in  1839, 
called  the  "Du  Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Pro- 
tection." At  the  risk  of  tiring  our  readers,  we  give 
some  extracts  from  its  records : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  settlers,  of  Du  PAGE  County,  held  at  Naperville, 
on  the  28th  of  October,  A.  D.  1839,  Russel  Whipple  was  called  to  the 
chair,  and  James  C.  Hatch  appointed  secretary.  Whereupon  the  fol- 
lowing report  was  read  to  the  meeting:  At  a  meeting  of  the  settlers  of 
Du  PAGE  County,  held  at  Naperville,  on  the  29th  of  September  last,  to 
take  measures  for  securing  their  rights  and  interests  to  and  in  their 
respective  claims,  a  committee  of  ten  was  appointed  to  draft  rules  and 
regulations  to  present  for  the  consideration  of  this  meeting,  in  compli- 
ance with  which,  said  committee  respectfully  beg  leave  to  present  the 
following  : 

Situated  as  we  are  upon  government  lands,  which  have,  by  the  indus- 
try of  the  settlers,  already  become  highly  valuable,  and  inasmuch  as  our 
claims  lie  in  such  a  variety  of  shapes,  and  are  of  such  different  dimen- 
sions, that  they  cannot  in  any  manner  correspond  with  the  government 
survey,  it  appears  necessary,  in  order  to  prevent  the  most  fearful  conse- 
quences, that  the  lines  of  our  respective  claims  should  be  established 
previous  to  the  government  survey,  and  we  ourselves  bound  by  the 
strong  arm  of  the  law,  to  reconvcy,  as  hereinafter  mentioned,  to  our 
neighbors,  whenever  these  lands  are  sold  by  the  order  of  the  general 
government,  so  as  to  keep  our  claims  as  they  are  now  established ;  and 
to  accomplish  this  end,  we  recommend  the  following  regulations: 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  47 

first.  We  do  hereby  form  ourselves  into  a  society,  to  be  called  the 
Du  PAGE  COUNTY  SOCIETY  FOR  MUTUAL  PROTECTION,  and  agree  to  be 
governed  by  such  prudent  rules  and  by-laws  as  the  society  may  hereafter 
adopt,  not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  the  country ;  and  that  we  will 
make  use  of  all  honorable  means  to  protect  each  other  in  our  respective 
claims,  as  may  hereafter  be  agreed  upon  and  recorded ;  and  that  we  will 
not  countenance  any  unjust  claim,  set  up  by  speculators  or  others ;  and 
we  declare  that  the  primary  object  of  this  society  is,  to  protect  the 
inhabitants  in  their  claims  and  boundaries,  so  that  each  shall  deed,  and 
redeed  to  the  other  as  hereinafter  mentioned,  when  the  government 
survey  does  not  agree  with  the  present  lines,  or  lines  which  may  here- 
after be  agreed  upon. 

Second.  That  there  be  a  committee  of  five  appointed  at  this  meeting, 
three  of  whom  may  form  a  board  of  arbitration,  to  decide,  from  legal 
testimony,  all  disputes  respecting  the  lines  or  boundaries  of  any  claim 
to  which  they  may  be  called  together,  with  the  costs  of  the  arbitration, 
and  the  party  or  parties  who  shall  pay  the  same :  Provided,  It  does  not 
appear  that  such  dispute  has  previously  been  decided,  by  an  arbitration 
held  by  the  agreement  of  the  parties,  which  shall  be  a  bar  against  fur- 
ther proceedings  of  said  committee,  except  as  to  matter  of  costs. 

Third.  That  each  of  the  said  committee  shall  be  entitled  to  one  dollar 
per  day,  for  each  day  officially  engaged. 

Fourth.  That,  in  all  cases  where  the  parties  cannot  establish  their 
lines,  either  by  reference  to  their  neighbors  or  otherwise,  either  party 
may,  at  any  time,  by  giving  to  the  other  ten  days'  notice  of  his  or  her 
intention,  call  out  at  least  three  of  the  board  of  arbitration,  to  decide 
the  same,  and  their  decision  shall  be  final. 

fifth.  That  there  be  one  clerk  appointed  at  this  meeting,  who  shall 
keep  a  fair  record  of  all  transactions  of  this  association,  and  also  of  all 
descriptions  of  claims  presented  to  him  for  record :  Provided,  That  there 
is  attached  thereto  a  certificate  from  all  who  have  adjoining  claims,  cer- 
tifiying  to  the  correctness  of  such  description,  or  a  certificate  signed  by 
a  majority  of  any  arbitration,  met  to  establish  any  line  or  lines  of  said 
claim  ;  and  that  the  said  clerk  shall  be  entitled  to  twenty-five  cents  for 
recording  each  claim  and  certificate. 

Sixth.  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  settler  to  present  to  the  clerk 
a  definite  description  of  his  or  her  claim,  either  from  actual  survey  or 
otherwise,  and  also  to  set  his  or  her  hand  and  seal  to  a  certain  indenture, 
drafted  by  Giles  Spring,  Esq.,  of  Chicago,  for  this  society. 


48  HISTORY    OF 


Seventh.  That  there  be  a  committee  of  three  in  each  precinct,  ap- 
pointed at  this  meeting,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  into  effect  the  sixth 
regulation. 

Eighth.  That  the  settlers  on  the  school  lands  ought  to  obtain  their 
lands  at  government  price. 

Ninth.  That  we  will  firmly  and  manfully  protect  all  who  conform  to 
the  above  regulations  previous  to  the  first  day  of  January,  1840. 

Which  report  and  regulations  were  unanimously  adopted,  and  ordered 
to  be  embodied  in  a  constitution. 

Thereafter,  on  motion,  a  committee  of  six  was  appointed  by  the  chair, 
to  nominate  a  board  of  arbitration  and  clerk,  viz/:  Lewis  Ellsworth, 
Elihu  Thayer,  Luther  Hatch,  Cornelius  Jones,  Job  A.  Smith,  and  David 
S.  Dunning ;  who,  having  retired,  returned  and  reported  LTMAN  MEACH- 
AM,  ERASTCS  GARY,  and  STEPHEN  J.  SCOTT,  board  of  arbitration,  and  P. 
BALLINGALL,  clerk ;  which  nominations  were  approved  of. 

Whereupon,  it  was  moved  and  adopted,  that  the  following  persons  be 
the  precinct  committees,  viz. : 

NAPERVILLE  PRECINCT.  —  Stephen  J.  Scott,  Henry  Goodrich,  Nathan 
Allen,  Jr. 

WEBSTER  PRECINCT. — John  W.  Walker,  James  C.  Hatch,  Pierce 
Downer. 

DEERFIELD  PRECINCT. — Luther  Morton,  Perus  Barney,  Moses  Stacy. 

WASHINGTON  PRECINCT. — Lyman  Meacham,  Smith  D.  Pierce,  Capt. 
E.  Kinny. 

ORANGE  PRECINCT. — Job  A.  Smith,  Wm.  Kimball,  Luther  F.  San- 
derson. 

Du  PAGE  PRECINCT. — Warren  Smith,  Lorin  G.  Hulbert,  Alvah 
Fowler. 

BIG  WOODS  PRECINCT. — John  Warne,  Levi  Leach,  William  J. 
Strong. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  till  the  first  Monday  in  January, 
1840. 

RUSSELL  WHIPPLE,  Chairman. 

JAS.  C.  HATCH,  Secretary. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  "Du  Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Protection," 
held  at  Naperville,  the  sixth  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1840,  in  pursuance 
of  adjournment,  Russell  Whipple  took  the  chair,  when,  on  motion  of 
Mr.  Geo.  Martin,  it  was 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  4:9 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  recording  the  claims  of  the  members  of  this 
society,  in  order  to  secure  the  benefits  of  the  ninth  resolution  of  the 
meeting  held  on  the  28th  of  October  last,  be  extended  till  the  first  day 
of  march  next. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  James  C.  Hatch, 

Resolved,  That  the  claims  belonging  to  members  of  the  society  which 
lie  on  the  line  of,  or  in  another  county,  shall  be  entitled  to  record  and 
protection,  on  the  member  complying  with  the  fifth  regulation. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Lyman  Meacham, 

Resolved,  That  when  a  claim  belonging  to  a  member  of  this  associa- 
tion shall  border  on  that  of  a  non-resident,  or  that  of  a  person  out  of 
the  state,  or  on  land  not  occupied,  the  same  shall  be  recorded  if  a  certi- 
ficate from  the  adjoining  claimants  be  attached  thereto,  certifying  to 
such  non-residence,  absence,  or  non-occupancy,  and  that  there  is  no  dis- 
pute concerning  the  same. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  William  J.  Strong, 

Resolved,  That  any  member  of  this  society  who,  in  an  arbitration, 
fails  to  establish  his  claim  before  the  board  of  arbitration,  shall  pay  the 
costs  thereof  within  six  days  from  the  decision  being  pronounced,  and 
failing  to  make  such  payment,  he  shall  cease  to  be  a  member  of  this 
society.  • 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  until  the  first  Monday  in  March 
next.  P.  BALLINGALL,  Clerk. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  society,  held  at  Naperville,  on  the  6th  day  of 
January,  A.  D.  1840,  in  pursuance  of  adjournment,  Stephen  J.  Scott  was 
appointed  chairman. 

Resolved,  That  James  Johnson  and  Isaac  B.  Berry  be  allowed  another 
trial  in  their  arbitration  with  Harry  T.  Wilson,  on  condition  that  said 
Johnson  and  Berry  pay  one  counsel  fee,  and  the  whole  costs  of  the  arbi- 
tration. 

Resolved,  That  the  board  of  arbitrators  shall  have  power  to  fill  all 
vacancies  occasioned  by  death,  removal,  or  otherwise,  between  this 
time  and  the  first  Monday  in  May  next. 

Resolved,  That  the  resolution  offered  by  William  J.  Strong,  and  passed 
at  last  meeting,  be  and  is  hereby  repealed. 

Rcx»li'edt  That  the  line  between  Fphraim  Collar  and  Timothy  E. 

Parsons  is  hereby  declared  to  be  the  road  leading  from to , 

laid  by  Butterfield,  Church  and  Arnold,  as  the  same  has  been  recorded. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  till  the  first  Monday  in  May  next. 

P.  BAI,I,INOALI,,  Clerk. 


II  I  S  T  O  K  Y    O  K 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Protection, 
held  at  Naperville,  on  Monday,  the  4th  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1840,  pursuant 
to  adjournment,  John  Stevens  was  appointed  chairman,  and  James  F. 
Wight  clerk,  pro  1cm.,  when,  on  motion  of  Mr.  P.  Downer, 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  settling  and  recording  claims  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  society  be  extended  to  the  first  Monday  in  June  next. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  until  the  first  Monday  in  June 
next,  then  to  meet  in  Naperville. 

J.  F.  WIGHT,  Clefk,  pro  tern. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Protection, 
held  at  Naperville,  on  Monday,  the  1st  day  (being  the  first  Monday)  in 
June,  1840,  pursuant  to  adjournment,  Captain  John  Stevens  was 
appointed  chairman.  Patrick  Ballingall,  Esq.,  having  resigned  the 
office  of  clerk  of  this  society,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Hunt, 

Resolved,  That  James  F.  Wight  be  and  is  hereby  appointed  clerk  of 
this  society,  in  the  place  of  P.  Ballingall,  Esq.,  resigned. 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  settling  and  recording  claims  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  society  be  extended  until  the  first  Monday  in  September 
next.  On  motion  of  Mr.  James  C.  Hatch, 

Resolved,  That  the  Clerk  hereafter  record  no  certificates  of  claims 
unless  it  is  certified  that  they  are  the  only  claimants  adjoining  the 
claim  or  claims  offered  to  be  recorded,  or  for  want  of  such  certificate, 
that  the  applicant  shall  make  oath  that  no  other  person  except  those 
named  in  such  certificate  adjoin  him. 

Resolved,  That  the  clerk  notify  all  persons  whose  claims  are  recorded 
(without  their  having  signed  the  settler's  bond),  that  they  sign  the  said 
bond,  or  they  will  not  be  protected  by  this  society. 

Resolved,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  to  the  first  Monday  hi  September 
next,  then  to  meet  at  the  Preemption  House,  in  Naperville,  at  one 
o'clock,  P.  M. 

JAMES  F.  WIGHT,  C/T/.-. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Du  Page  County  Society  for  Mutual  Protection, 
held  at  Naperville,  on  Wednesday,  the  3d  day  of  March,  1841,  Hon. 
Russell  Whipple  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  Morris  Sleight  appointed 
Secretary.  After  the  object  of  the  meeting  had  been  stated  by  Stephen 
J.  Scott,  the  following  persons  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft 
resolutions  expressive  of  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  viz. :  LUTHER 
HATCH,  STEPHEN  J.  SCOTT,  WILLIAM  J.  STRONG,  and  ISAAC  CLARK. 

On  motion  of  N.  Allen,  jr.,  Esq.,  Aylmer  Keith  was  appointed  clerk 


DU     1'AGE     COUNTY. 


of  this  society,  to  record  claims  and  the  certificates  for  the  same,  and  to 
keep  the  settlers'  book,  in  place  of  James  F.  Wight. 

Resolved,  That  the  time  for  recording  claims  be  extended  to  the.  first 
Monday  of  September,  1841. 

The  committee  appointed  to  draft  resolutions  reported  the  following, 
which  were  adopted,  with  one  or  two  dissenting  votes: 

Whereas,  It  is  generally  believed  that  the  public  lands  on  -which  we 
hold  settlers'  claims  will  be  shortly  offered  for  sale,  and  in  order  that 
each  claimant  may  obtain  and  feel  secure  in  the  possession  of  his  just 
claim,  it  is  deemed  necessary  that  there  be  a  uniformity  01  action  and 
feeling  on  the  subject,  and  believing  that  the  proving  up  of  preemption 
claims  will  have  a  tendency  to  create  excitement  and  confusion,  if  not 
to  interfere  with  the  rights  of  others  :  Therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  1.  That  we  will  not  prove  up  our  preemption  claims,  even 
when  justly  entitled  to  do  so,  except  in  cases  where  it  may  be  deemed 
necessary  to  secure  the  claimant,  but  that  we  will  not  do  so  without  the 
consent  of  a  committee  to  be  appointed  by  this  union,  or  the  several 
towns,  to  settle  disputes. 

Resolved,  2.  That  any  person  who  shall  attempt  to  obtain  a  preemp- 
tion, and  thereby  seize  upon  any  part  of  any  other  person's  claim,  shall 
be  deemed  a  dishonest  man,  not  entitled  to  the  protection  of  this  union, 
and  shall  not  be  allowed  to  purchase  any  other  land  in  this  county,  if 
this  union  can  prevent  it. 

Resolved,  3.  That  when  the  inhabitants  of  any  township  shall  guaran- 
tee to  those  on  the  school  section,  and  entitled  to  a  float,  that  they  shall 
have  their  claim  at  ten  shillings  per  acre  ;  then,  in  such  case,  if  they 
shall  obtain,  or  attempt  to  obtain  a  float,  or  lay  one  upon  any  other 
claimant's  just  claim,  they  shall  be  considered  no  better  than  a  thief  or 
a  robber,  and  shall  have  no  protection  from  this  union. 

Resolved,  4.  That  it  is  the  duty  of  this  association  to  take  measures  to 
secure  to  claimants  on  the  school  section  their  claims  at  government 
price. 

Resolved,  5.  That  the  protection  of  this  union  will  not  be  extended 
to  any  person  who  shall  either  take  or  purchase  a  school  section  float, 
except  the  township  refuse  to  guarantee,  as  in  the  third  resolution. 
^Resolved,  6.  That  the  several  townships  in  this  county  call  meetings 
and  make  such  arrangements,  and  adopt  such  measures  as  may  be 
thought  necessary,  with  regard  to  their  claims  at  the  approaching  land  sale. 

Resolved,  7.  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  be  forwarded  by 
the  secretary  to  the  land  office  in  Chicago,  and  nsk  of  the  register  and 


~>-2  HISTORY    OF 


.  receiver  to  act  with  regard  to  lands  in  this  county  on  the  spirit  of  the 
resolutions  here  passed. 

Resolved,  8.  That  the  proceedings  of  this  meeting  be  signed  by  the 
chairman  and  secretary,  and  published  in  the  Chicago  papers. 

Subordinate  claim  societies  were  organized  in  eacli 
of  the  precincts  of  the  cotmty ;  the  settlers  pretty 
generally  joined  them,  and  many  difficulties  were 
adjusted  by  this  means  among  the  squatters.  The  hard 
times  which  followed  the  crisis  of  1836  and  1837? 
discouraged  speculation  somewhat,  and  but  few  were 
able  to  purchase  the  land  which  they  had  improved, 
and  some  were  unable  to  do  that.  The  pledges  made 
by  the  members  of  the  claim  societies  were  uniformly 
carried  out,  and  all  honorable  men  gave  no  cause  of 
complaint  to  their  neighbors.  In  a  few  cases  some 
leiss  scrupulous  refused  to  deed  lands  in  their  possession 
to  the  rightful  owner,  and  in  consequence  quarrels  and 
some  suits  at  law  were  the  result.  -Some  of  these  suits 
are  still  ".  pending  and  undecided." 

"We  subjoin  a  few  instances,  showing  how  summarily 
a  certain  class  of  claim  difficulties  were  disposed  of. 
Many  more  might  be  added,  but  let  these  suffice. 

Two  neighbors  owned  adjoining  claims,  and  at  the 
time  of  the  organization  of  the  claim  society  their  land 
was  being  surveyed  by  the  government  surveyor. 
One  of  the  men  happened  to  be  a  member  of  the 
society,  and  the  other  not.  It  so  happened  that  the 
random  line,  run  by  the  surveyor,  cut  off  a  portion  of 
the  claim  of  the  first,  and  left  it  in  such  a  manner  that 
the  other  would  be  entitled  to  a  preemption  upon  it. 
When  he  discovered  this,  he  refused  to  deed  the  land 
to  the  one  who  claimed  it.  Persuasion  was  used  in 


DU     PAGE    COUNTY.  53 

vain.  He  thought  he  had  the  advantage  of  his  neigh- 
bor, and  determined  to  keep  it.  In  a  few  days, 
however,  matters  assumed  a  different  light,  and  then 
the  line  was  established  so  as  to  give  back  to  the  society 
man  not  only  what  he  claimed,  but  also  a  large  corner 
from  his  neighbor's  tract,  and  now  he  was  entitled  to 
a  preemption.  The  obstinate  man  was  thus  induced 
to  join  the  society,  and  take  upon  himself  the  obliga- 
tion to  "  deed  and  re-deed."  After  being  kept  in 
suspense  for  a  while,  by  way  of  punishment,  his  land 
was  again  restored  to  him. 

There  were  many  of  the  settlers  who  did  not  join 
the  claim  societies,  but  among  all  l)ona-fide  settlers 
there  prevailed  a  determination  to  protect  each  other. 
The  first  trouble  arising  from  "  claim  jumping,"  was 
in  1836,  or  thereabouts,  respecting  the  claim  of  Mr. 
Frothingham,  in  the  town  of  Milton.  A  family  of 
squatters  came  on  and  took  possession  of  a  portion  of 
his  claim,  without  leave  or  license,  and  were  determined 
to  remain  there  in  spite  of  entreaty  or  physical  force. 
The  settlement  was  apprised  of  this  state  of  affairs, 
and  a  company  of  about  fifty  horsemen  proceeded  to 
the  cabin  of  the  incorrigible  squatters,  who,  on  seeing 
them  coming,  broke  for  tall  timber,  leaving  but  one 
occupant  in  the  cabin,  an  old  lady  who  had  passed  the 
running  point.  The  sum  of  seventeen  dollars  was 
raised  among  the  company  to  indemnify  the  family 
for  sundry  outlays  which  they  had  made  upon  the 
premises.  This  the  old  lady  received  upon  condition 
that  the  family  should  quit  the  claim  without  delay. 
To  expedite  the  execution  of  her  part  of  the  contract, 
the  settlers  fell  to  work  and  assisted  in  the  removal  of 


IliSTOiiY     OF 


the  furniture  from  the  house,  and  in  clearing  the  pre- 
mises of  everything  that  belonged  to  the  family.  After 
this  had  been  done,  the  house  was  torn  down  and  the 
rubbish  thrown  into  a  heap  near  by,  preparatory  to 
kindling  a  bonfire,  when  the  "meeting"  was  called  to 
order  and  several  stump  speeches  of  a  decidedly 
inflammatory  character  were  made.  "We  are  not  in 
possession  of  the  minutes  of  those  speeches,  but  have 
been  informed  that  the  Hon.  Nathan  Allen  figured 
quite  conspicuously  in  this  part  of  the  exercises.  His 
speech  on  that  occasion  is  spoken  of  as  being  one  of 
his  most  felicitous  and  pointed  ".efforts."  When  the 
speech-making  had  subsided,  fire  was  set  to  the  heap 
of  promiscuous  ruins,  and  the  hut  of  the  interlopers 
was  soon  reduced  to  ruins.  The  conduct  of  the  settlers 
in  this  case  proved  a  warning  to  future  intruders,  and 
claim  jumping  was  rarely  heard  of  in  that  part  of  the 
county  afterward. 

A  man  from  Plumb  Grove  happened  to  be  on  his 
way  to  the  Xaper  settlement  and  passing  near  the 
place  while  the  affair  just  described  was  faking  place. 
Seeing  the  smoke  ascend  from  the  spot,  and  hearing 
the  universal  uproar  among  the  settlers,  he  concluded 
at  once  that  a  party  of  Indians  was  there,  killing  and 
laying  waste.  Turning  from  the  beaten  track  which 
led  near  the  house,  he  made  a  circuit  around  the 
"  marauders,"  and  lashing  his  horses  to  their  utmost 
speed,  rode  to  the  settlement,  warning  everybody,  to 
flee  for  their  lives.  The  cause  of  his  fright  was  pretty 
generally  understood,  and  therefore  he  did  not  succeed 
in  getting  up  a  very  serious  alarm. 

A  few  years  after  a  contention  arose  respecting  the 


DU     PAGE     COU.NTY. 


Tullis  cltiiin,  which  was  situated  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood. Under  a  preemption  law  passed  about  that 
time,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Harmond  undertook  to 
preempt  a  portion  of  the  claim  of  Mr.  Tnllis,  who  had 
already  obtained  possession  of  it  under  a  former 
preemption  act.  In  order  to  comply  with  the  provi- 
sions of  the  later  act,  Ilarmond  built  a  pen  of  small 
poles  near  the  center  of  his  claim,  staid  in  it  only  one 
night,  and  started  immediately  for  Chicago  to  prove 
his  preemption.  On  his  return,  he  commenced  making 
repairs  upon  an  old  block  house  which  was  already 
built  upon  his  "  quarter,"  and  being  asked  why  he  was 
doing  it,  replied  that  he  had  preempted  that  claim, 
and  was  going  to  live  there.  This  aroused  the  indig- 
nation of  the  neighboring  squatters,  who  called  a 
meeting  to  take  into  consideration  the  conduct  of  Mr. 
Harmond.  He,  being  present,  was  advised  to  relin- 
quish his  claim,  but  he  positively  refused  to  do  it,  and 
at  the  same  time  threw  out  some  pretty  savage  threats 
against  the  settlers,  in  case  they  attempted  to  remove 
him  by  force.  After  a  long  consultation,  it  was  con- 
cluded that  the  building  on  the  premises  should  be 
torn  down  if  he  did  not  abandon  it  without  delay. 
At  this  decision  Harmond  became  greatly  exasperated, 
and  having  his  rifle  with  him,  threatened  to  fire  upon 
"  the  first  man  who  should  tear  off  a  board."  Where 
upon  a  fearless  Qaker  gentleman  stepped  forth  and 
remarked  to  Mr.  Harmond  that  if  he  designed  to  put 
that  threat  in  execution  he  had  better  begin  by  shooting 
at  Mm,  as  he  considered  himself  a  mark  of  sufficient 
magnitude  for  a  claim  jumper  to  shoot  at,  any  how. 
The  old  Quaker  was  soon  joined  by  Lyman  Butterfield, 


56  n  i  6  T  o  K  y   o  v 


who  addressed  Mr.  Harmond  in  pretty  much  the  same 
strain,  informing  him  that  if  he  was  not  willing  to  waste 
his  powder  on  one  man,  he  would  offer  the  additional 
inducement  of  placing  his  own  body  in  lair  range,  so 
that  he  might  at  least  kill  "ttco  birds  with  one  stone." 
But  Harmond  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  shoot, 
and  so  the  party  proceeded  to  the  disputed  claim, 
tearing  down  the  house,  and  removing  every  vestige 
of  former  occupancy.  Before  ten  minutes  had  elapsed, 
after  the  decision  of  the  council  of  settlers,  this  was 
done,  and  Mr.  Harmond  was  sent  on  his  way  to  other 
parts,  not  rejoicing,  but  uttering  the  most  awful  denun- 
ciations against  such  ungentlemanly  treatment. 

In  justice  to  a  numerous  class  of  our  early  settlers, 
we  deem  it  appropriate  to  introduce  here  a  brief  notice 
of  a  society  which  was  formed  in  1834,  and  known  as 
the  "  Hognatorial  Council."  We  have  ransacked  all 
the  dead  languages  we  ever  heard  of,  in  order  to  obtain 
for  our  readers  some  clue  to  the  origin  of  this  preno- 
tnen,  but  have  been  signally  defeated  in  the  undertak- 
ing. Its  origin  is  altogether  too  obscure  for  us,  and  we 
leave  the  task  of  tracing  it  to  more  able  and  willing 
hands.  The  object  of  the  "  council "  seems  to  have 
been  the  settling  of  a  peculiar  class  of  claim  difficulties, 
which  were  not  taken  cognizance  of  by  the  fonajfefc 
claim  committee,  and  its  operations  were  designed  to 
burlesque  the  proceedings  of  that  committee,  as  well 
as  to  ridicule  courts  in  general.  All  disputes  brought 
before  the  "  Hognatorial  "  were  settled  in  a  summary 
and  satisfactory  manner.  We  can  illustrate  this  remark 
with  but  one  instance,  which  occurred  in  the  south 
part  of  the  county.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Clarke, 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY. 


who  was  firmly  grounded  in  Midshipman  Easy's  doc- 
trine of  "  what  belongs  to  my  neighbor  belongs  also 
to  me,"  made  a  "claim"  upon  another  man's  land, 
lying  somewhere  on  the  Du  Page  river.  Finding  that 
peaceable  and  quiet  possession  was  impossible,  he 
applied  to  a  gentleman  who  happened  to  be  posted  in 
"  hognatorial  "  matters,  for  advice.  He  was  of  course 
advised  to  bring  the  matter  before  the  "  Hognatorial 
Council,"  as  that  was  the  only  reliable  tribunal  having 
jurisdiction  over  such  grievances.  His  case  was  pre- 
pared by  Kathan  Allen,  a  man  of  superior  legal 
attainments,  and  upon  a  certain  day  the  Hognatorial 
Council  room  was  crowded  to  witness  the  proceedings 
in  the  case.  Allen  opened  the  case  by  giving  to  the 
jury  a  plain  unvarnished  statement  of  the  facts,  and 
closed  it  by  a  most  pathetic  appeal  to  their  sense  of 
justice,  in  behalf  of  his  wronged  and  injured  client. 
Several  witnesses  were  called  upon  to  testify,  and  the 
upshot  of  the  testimony  was  that  Mr.  Clark  had  a 
claim  commencing  at  a  certain  point  on  Du  Page  river, 
but  in  what  direction  his  lines  ran  from  that  point  it 
was  impossible  to  ascertain.  Several  hours  were 
occupied  in  examining  witnesses,  during  which  time 
Clark  kept  a  boy  running  to  and  fro  between  the 
"•  council  chamber"  and  his  house,  to  inform  his  wife 
of  the  different  phases  which  the  case  assumed  as  the 
trial  progressed.  At  length  the  testimony  was  all  in, 
the  closing  argument  made,  and  the  case  submitted  to 
the  jury.  There  was  but  one  point  left  for  the  jury 
to  act  upon,  and  that  related  particularly  to  the  boun- 
dary of  Clark's  claim.  They  were  out  but  a  short 
time,  and  returned  the  following  verdict  :  "  We,  the 

*3 


58  II  IS  TOE  Y     OF 


jurors  in  this  case,  decide  that  Mr.  Clark  is  justly 
entitled  to  a  piece  of  land  lying  on  the  Du  Page  river, 
and  described  as  follows,  to  wit :  commencing  at  a 
certain  point  on  the  east  Lank  of  said  river,  and  run- 
ning perpendicular  to  the  horizon  straight  up"  This 
was  enough  for  Clark.  He  hastened  to  communicate 
the  result  to  his  waiting,  anxious  wife,  and  afterward 
proceeded  to  the  tavern  and  got  ingloriously  drunk 
over  the  result  of  his  victorious  suit. 


I)U     PAGE     COUNTY. 


GENERAL  VIEW  OF  THE  COUNTS. 


SITUATION,  EXTENT,  ETC. 

THE  County  of  Du  PAGE,  is  situated  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  and  consists  of  a  fraction 
over  nine  townships.  It  belonged  originally  to  Cook 
county,  until  its  separation  and  organization  into  a 
distinct  county  by  act  of  Legislature,  passed  at  the 
session  of  1839.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  and  east 
by  Cook  county,  on  the  south  by  "Will  and  Cook,  and 
on  the  west  by  Kane.' 

The  early  settlers  were  almost  wholly  of  English 
extraction,  but  the  population  of  the  present  day  con- 
sists of  a  mixture  of  English  and  Germans.  The 
following  table  will  show  when-  the  several  towns 
were  organized,  when  first  settled  and  by  whom,  and 
also  the  number  of  inhabitants,  according  to  the  census 
of  1850  and  1855: 


TOWNS. 

SETTLED. 

BY  WHOM. 

ORGANIZED. 

SO.  INHABITANTS. 

1850 

1855 

1834 

1833 
1883 
1830 
1831 
1881 
1832 
1884 
1834 

H.  Duncklee,  
S.L.  &  H.  Meacham 
Wells  &  Grant,. 
Baley  Hobson,. 
II.  T.  Wilson,  .  . 
Joseph  Naper,  . 
E.  &  J.  I'.  Gary, 
John  Laughlin,. 
Elisha  Fish,     . 

1850 
1850 
:S50 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1850 

812 

S97 
959 
1,187 
1,005 
1,628 
1,149 
855 
853 

1,262 
1,214 
1,015 
1,406 
1,8>1 
2,055 
1,588 
1,039 
1,842 

Downer's  Grove,  

Milton,  

Winfield,  

Wayne,  

York,         

9,290 

12,807 

CO  11  1  S  T  O  tt  V     O  F 


Tlie  number  of  inhabitants  to  the  square  mile,  omit- 
ting fractions,  was  in  1850,  twenty-two,  in  1855,  twenty- 
nine. 

The  following  items  are  taken  from  the  census  of 
1855.  There  are  fifty-two  manufactories,  of  all  kinds, 
in  the  county,  and  the  value  of  manufactured  products, 
is  8161,095.  The  value  of  live  stock  is  $876,185. 
There  were  104,761  pounds  of  wool  produced.  There 
were  seventy-two  common  schools  taught  in  the 
county,  being  an  increase  of  twenty  over  the  preced- 
ing census.  There  were  three  academies ;  number  of 
pupils,  5,770.  The  population  included  one  negro,  and 
one  Indian. 

FACE  OF  THE  COUNTRY,  ETC. 

Du  PAGE  County  is  generally  level,  and  contains 
fair  proportions  of  timber  and  prairie.  The  soil  is  well 
adapted  to  grazing,  and  produces  abundant  crops  of 
all  kinds  of  grain  common  to  this  latitude.  The 
Du  Page  river,  which  has  its  rise  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  county,  is  skirted  with  forests  of  thrifty  growing 
timber.  In  addition  to  the  facilities  thus  afforded  for 
timber  and  fuel,  the  inhabitants  in  the  western  part 
have  recourse  to  the  Big  Woods,  which  lie  partly  in 
this  county.  The  west  branch  of  the  Du  Page,  is  a 
stream  of  considerable  size,  and  affords  numerous 
sites  for  the  application  of  water  power.  Besides 
several  saw  mills,  and  other  manufactories,  there  are 
flouring  mills  situated  upon  this  stream,  at  "Warrenville, 
Naperville,  and  at  Hobson's. 

There  are  no  other  streams  of  much  importance  in 
the  county,  yet  it  is  well  watered  by  the  smaller 


DU     PAGE    COUNTY.  61 

streams  and  springs,  which  are  everywhere  to  be 
found.  The  average  deptli  of  wells  is  about  twenty- 
five  feet. 

PilODUCTS  OF  CULTIVATION. 

The  chief  staples  are  corn,  wheat,  rye,  oats,  and 
potatoes ;  but  barley,  buckwheat,  peas  and  beans,  are 
cultivated  to  some  extent.  Considerable  attention  is 
given  to  fruit  raising.  Orchards  are  generally  young, 
and  the  adaptation  of  this  climate  to  the  culture  of  the 
apple,  has  not  been  fully  tested.  The  prospect,  how- 
ever, for  a  productive  season,  has  never  been  so 
encouraging  as  at  present.  The  productions  of  horti- 
culture, are  chiefly  of  the  most  common  and  useful 
kinds.  Rare  and  delicate  plants  are  to  be  found  in 
few  gardens.  The  grape  is  cultivated  to  considerable 
extent,  and  produces  abundantly.  Locust  trees 
abound.  The  horse  chestnut,  larch,  mountain  ash, 
and  various  other  species  of  the  ornamental  class,  are 
generally  introduced.  The  forests  furnish  a  good 
variety  of  shade  trees.  Of  the  sugar  maple,  elm,  ash, 
butternut,  and  soft  maple,  large  quantities  are  trans- 
planted to  the  farms  and  villages,  every  season.  These 
will  eventually  take  the  place  of  the  locust,  which 
proves  too  susceptible  to  the-  severity  of  our  winters, 
many  having  died  out  during  the  past  two  years. 
Du  PAGE  is  ranked  as  an  agricultural  county,  but  the 
attention  of  farmers  has  been  directed  to  the  raising 
of  cattle,  and  it  is  thought  by  many,  that  the  produc- 
tion of  grain  will  gradually  give  place  to  the  increase 
and  improvement  of  stock. 

The  "  Du  Page  County  Agricultural  and  Mechani- 
cal Society,"  was  formed  in  1854.  Its  design,  is  to 


HIS  T  GUY     O  F 


promote  a  friendly  intercourse  among  the  citizens,  as 
well  as  improvement  and  enterprise  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  soil,  raising  of  stock,  and  the  manufacture  of 
useful  farming  and  household  utensils.  The  annual 
fair  of  this  society  is  held  about  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber. The  place  of  meeting  is  now  fixed  at  Wheaton, 
the  society  having  secured  at  that  place  twenty  acres  of 
A'aluable  land,  fifteen  acres  of  which  were  donated  by 
J.  C.  and  W..  L.  Wheaton.  The  operations  of  this 
society,  it  is  believed,  are  attended  with  many  impor- 
tant results.  It  calls  the  attention  of  the  farming 
community  to  the  better  management  of  their  farms  ; 
to  the  greater  production  and  more  beneficial  employ- 
ment of  manures  ;  to  the  introduction  of  choice  breeds 
of  live  stock,  of  all  kinds,  and  especially  working 
cattle,  horses,  cows,  and  sheep.  By  its  annual  premi- 
ums it  excites  emulation,  and  promotes  a  spirit  of 
enterprise  and  activity  among  the  agriculturists.  By 
the  same  means,  it  awakens  kindred  feelings  among 
the  women,  and  improves  various  and  important 
articles  of  domestic  manufacture.  The  fanners  are 
generally  the  owners  of  the  soil ;  they  form  a  body  of 
yeomanry  deeply  interested  in  the  improvement  of 
their  farms,  and  the  industrious  habits  of  citizens — one 
of  the  grand  supports  of  our  free  and  happy  govern- 
ment. Success  then  to  this  society,  and  may  each 
succeeding  year  mark  its  nearer  approach  to  the 
worthy  object  for  which  it  was  formed. 


EDUCATION,  SCHOOLS  AXD  ACADEMIES. 

The  more  judicious  laws  of  recent  times,  have  done 
much  for  the  interest  of  our  schools.     These  laws  have 


DU     PAGE    COUNTY. 


been  well  observed  by  the  people  of  Du  PAGE  County. 
"We  now  have  about  seventy  school  districts,  which 
are  provided  with  good  school  buildings  and  good 
schools.  Much  of  our  advancement  in  this  respect,  is 
due  to  the  indefatigable  labors  of  our  late  school  com- 
missioner, Rev.  Hope  Brown.  From  Mr.  Brown's 
annual  report  of  1855,  we  give  some  extracts  showing 
the  state  of  our  schools  at  that  time  : 

"  The  whole  number  of  school  districts  in  the  county  is  sixty-eight, 
sixty-four  of  which  are  provided  with  school  houses.  If  we  divide 
these  houses  into  four  classes,  we  may  reckon  twenty  in  the  first  class, 
and  call  them  extra ;  we  may  also  reckon  twenty  in  the  second  class, 
and  call  them  r/ood ;  we  may  reckon  sixteen  in  the  third  class,  and  call 
them  passable  ;  and  that  will  leave  eight  for  the  fourth  class,  which 
may  justly  be  called  MISERABLK.  Three  now  houses  have  been  erected 
the  last  year,  and  preparations  are  being  made  for  the  erection  of 
several  more  the  present  year.  In  relation  to  this  subject,  there  is 
generally,  throughout  the  county,  a  disposition  to  make  progress  in  the 
right  direction.  No  district  is  willing  to  have  its  school  house  reported 
year  after  year,  as  being  miserably  poor,  and  entirely  unfit  to  be 
occupied  for  school  purposes.  Since  I  first  began  to  visit  our  schools, 
five  years  ago,  and  to  report  the  condition  of  the  school  houses  in  our 
county  paper,  thirty  new  ones  have  been  erected,  and  several  others 
have  undergone  important  repairs ;  and  the  prospect  now  is,  that  no 
district  will  be  long  without  a  house  that  they  will  be  unwilling  to  have 
visited  and  reported  just  as  it  is.  The  whole  number  of  pupils  connected 
with  our  district  schools  the  past  winter,  is  not  far  from  two  thousand  ; 
among  this  number,  about  twelve  hundred  have  attended  to  arithmetic, 
five  hundred  have  studied  geography,  two  hundred  and  fifty  English 
grammar,  and  about  one  hundred  have  attended  to  higher  branches, 
such  as  algebra,  natural  philosophy,  physiology,  and  the  history  of  the 
United  States. 

"The  schools  have  generally  been  taught  from  six  to  eight  months 
each,  during  the  year.  In  a  few  districts  there  has  been  no  school 
during'thc  winter.  The  wages  of  teachers  have  been,  for  females,  from 
eight  to  sixteen  dollars  per  month  and  board  ;  for  males,  from  sixteen 
to  thirty  per  month  and  board.  It  is  an  omen  of  good,  tbnt  there  is  n 


64:  HISTORY    OP 


disposition  to  give  to  teachers  a  better  remuneration  for  their  services, 
than  they  have  received  in  years  past.  When  good  wages  arc  offered, 
then  good  qualifications  may  be  rigidly  insisted  upon.  Of  all  cheap 
things,  cheap  teachers  are  the  first  to  be  repudiated.  When,  by  the 
special  pleading  of  school  directors,  I  am  urged  to  give  a  certificate  to 
a  teacher,  whom  I  have  good  reason  to  regard  as  unqualified  to  instruct 
in  each  of  the  branches  required  by  lav/  to  be  taught  in  our  district 
schools,  I  feel  that  I  am  asked  to  do  that  which  will  not  be  likely  to 
promote  the  interests  of  education  in  any  school.  The  district  that 
cannot  afford  to  have  a  good  teacher,  should  not  throw  away  their 
money  by  employing  a  poor  teacher.  In  examining  teachers,  I 
may  have  been  regarded  as  being  unnecessarily  strict,  but  I  have  at  all 
times  aimed  to  be  governed  by  "  law  and  evidence,"  and  where  I  have 
refused  a  certificate,  it  has  been  because  the  applicant  has  not  furnished 
evidence  on  examination,  that  he  possessed  the  qualifications  which  the 
law  requires.  If,  in  respect  to  this  important  duty  I  have  erred,  it  has 
been  in  being  too  lenient  rather  than  in  being  too  strict.  If  none  but 
those  who  are  well  qualified,  as  the  law  requires,  can  be  approbated, 
then  none  but  such  as  regard  themselves  as  well  qualified,  will  be 
likely  to  apply  for  or  consent  to  be  employed  in  any  school  in  our 
county.  In  visiting  and  examining  our  schools  the  past  winter,  I 
found  them  generally  in  a  prosperous  condition.  To  this  general 
remark  there  may  be  three  or  four  exceptions;  and  where  these 
exceptions  apply,  if  school  directors  had  been  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  the  duties  devolving  upon  them  as  such,  these  schools  would  no 
doubt  have  been  much  better  than  what  they  were.  As  a  whole,  our 
district  schools  may  be  regarded  as  doing  much,  very  much,  for  the 
advancement  of  the  prosperity  of  our  county. 

"In  addition  to  our  district  schools,  there  are  in  the  county  three 
incorporated  academies,  'The  Naperville  Academy,'  'The  Illinois 
Institute '  and  the  '  Warrenville  Seminary ;'  the  two  former  of  which 
are  in  a  prosperous  condition,  but  the  latter  is  suspended  for  the  present. 
There  are  also  six  private  schools  in  the  county.  In  these  schools  and 
in  the  above  named  academies,  there  have  been  the  past  winter,  about  five 
hundred  pupils ;  so  that  in  view  of  our  academies  and  schools,  public  and 
private,  we  may  regard  this  county  as  well  furnished  with  the  means  of 
education,  or  at  least  in  a  fair  way  to  be  well  furnished.  Let  the  same 
progress  in  respect  to  schools  be  made  in  this  county  for  five  years  to 
come,  which  has  been  made  during  the  preceding  five  years,  and  but 
few  counties,  either  west  or  east,  will  be  better  furnished  with  the 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  65 

means  of  education  than  will  Du  PAGE  County.  School  directors,  in 
many  instances,  have  been  sadly  delinquent  in  relation  to  the  duty  of 
visiting  schools  under  their  immediate  supervision.  It  is  believed  that 
there  are  those  who  sustain  this  responsible  office,  who  have  not  visited 
the  schools  legally  under  their  care,  even  once  during  the  entire  year. 
Such  do  not  magnify  their  office,  nor  does  their  office  magnify  them. 
But  a  word  to  the  wise  may  be  sufficient." 

A  brief  notice  of  our  incorporated  institutions  of 
learning  will  be  found  in  the  histories  of  the  towns  in 
which  they  are  situated. 

HEALTII. 

• 

This  county  is  proverbial  for  its  healthfulness,  but 
diseases  of  the  more  acute  form,  as  billions  and  typhus 
fevers,  fever  and  ague,  are  not  uncommon  at  some 
neasons  of  the  year.  The  climate  is  mild  and  salu- 
brious. The  heat  of  the  summer  is  perhaps  greater 
than  it  is  in  the  same  latitude  of  the  eastern  states, 
but  our  winters  are  far  less  severe. 

THE    COUNTY   PKESS. 

To  write  out  the  newspaper  history  of  Du  PAGE 
County,  is  but  to  record  a  succession  of  failures.  The 
first  newspaper  was  established  at  the  county  seat. 
Being  situated  on  the  principal  route  for  transit  be- 
tween the  Rock  river  country  and  Chicago,  Naperville 
had  grown  to  be  a  considerable  town,  and  in  1849  its 
citizens  naturally  thought  that  an  organ,  or  newspaper, 
was  necessary  to  give  it  position  and  honorable  mention 
among  its  sister  towns.  Accordingly,  with  a  liberality 
which  was  characteristic,  its  citizens  offered  to  purchase 
a  printing  press  and  materials  for  any  one  who  would 


60  11  1  S  T  O  14  Y     O  F 


undertake  to  publish  a  'newspaper  in  iSTaperville. 
Unfortunately  for  them,  their  liberal  offer  was  heard 
of  by  an  adventurer  named  Charles  J.  Sellon,  who 
hastened  to  Is  aperville,  and  early  in  November,  18-49, 
struck  a  bargain  with  the  citizens,  and  agreed  to  pub- 
lish a  paper  on  the  terms  proposed.  Sellon  was 
wholly  unknown  to  the  people  of  Naperville,  had  no 
capital,  and  but  little  reputation,  though  he  had  but  a 
short  time  previous  been  engaged  in  two  or  three 
unsuccessful  and  dishonorable  newspaper  speculations. 
However,  the  citizens  were  as  good  as  their  promise, 
and  in  twro  or  three  days  raised  tlie  amount  necessary, 
some  $500,  with  which  a  second-hand  press,  a  large 
quantity  of  type,  which  had  previously  been  used  on 
the  Chicago  JOURNAL,  job  type,  and  other  necessary 
materials,  were  purchased,  and  brought  to  Naperville, 
amid  the  rejoicings  of  the  people.  A  room  was  pro- 
cured in  the  old  Tarbox  store  for  an  office,  and  after 
considerable  delay  in  arranging  everything,  and  setting 
up  the  press  and  fixtures,  the  first  number  of  the 
Du  PAGE  COUNTY  RECORDER  was  issued,  if  we 
mistake  not,  on  or  about  the  1st  of  December,  1849, 
"  by  C.  J.  Sellon,  Editor  and  Proprietor."  The  paper, 
in  its  commencement,  was  a  decided  success.  It  started 
off  with  a  circulation  of  about  500.  The  business 
men  of  Naperville  advertised  largely,  and  furnished 
job  work  liberally.  In  fact,  the  establishment  of  the 
RECORDER  marked  an  era  in  the  history  of  Du  PAGE 
County ;  for  although  the  town  did  not  in  consequence 
grow  in  population,  as  some  other  towns  had  done, 
yet  it  infused  new  life,  new  ideas,  new  ambition  and 
energy  into  the  business  men,  and  the  whole  cominu- 


1)U     PAGE     COUNTY.  67 

nity.  But  the  success  of  the  paper  was  doomed  to  be 
of  short  duration.  Sellon  proved  to  be  a  bad  manager, 
lazy  and  extravagant,  and  the  most  liberal  patronage 
could  not  long  keep  him  up  ;  besides,  he  had  no  sta- 
mina, was  full  of  wild  chimerical  schemes,  and 
continually  trying  something  new,  most  unfitting 
qualities  for  a  newspaper  publisher.  The  RECORDER 
having  been  started  by  the  joint  eftorts  of  all  parties, 
it  was  deemed  proper  that  it  should  be  neutral  in 
politics.  But  Sellon's  uneasy  nature  could  not  long 
rest  under  this  state  of  affairs,  and  his  means  running 
low,  he  at  last  prevailed  on  one  or  two  very  susceptible 
politicians,  who  lived  out  of  the  county,  to  furnish  him 
funds  with  which  to  change  the  RECORDER  into  a 
political  paper.  Accordingly,  at  the  end  of  nine 
months,  he  discontinued  the  RECORDER,  and  issued 
in  its  stead,  the  DEMOCRATIC  PLAINDEALER.  About 
the  same  time  also,  he  commenced  the  publication  of. 
a  small  weekly  sheet  called  the  DAUGHTER  OF  TEM- 
PERANCE, as  he  professed  to  be  a  great  advocate  of  the 
cause  of  temperance.  The  change  in  the  character  of 
the  paper  gave  great  dissatisfaction  to  the  men  of  both 
parties  in  the  town.  The  printing  of  the  two  papers 
became  very  expensive,  while  there  was  a  manifest 
falling  oft'  in  patronage,  and  some  time  in  November, 
1850,  Sellon  started  off  on  a  tour  for  the  ostensible 
purpose  of  obtaining  subscribers  for  the  DAUGHTER, 
but  he  never  came  back,  leaving  $500  or  $600  due 
creditors,  and  an  interesting  family  wholly  destitute. 
The  whole  concern,  of  course,  came  to  a  "  dead  lock," 
and  the  DEMOCRATIC  PLAINDEALER  and  DAUGHTER  OF 
TEMPERANCE  abruptly  and  ingloriously  terminated  their 


68  II I  S  T  O  K  Y    O  V 


existence,  and  were  numbered  among  things  that  were, 
after  a  spasmodic  existence  of  only  three  months. 

Previous  to  leaving,  Sellon  had  privately  formed 
a  partnership  with  H.  S.  Humphrey,  a  journeyman 
printer  in  his  office,  to  whom  he  owed  a  considerable 
amount,  in  which  he  had  agreed  to  sell  him  half  the 
office,  Humphrey  turning  his  account  in  part  payment. 
This  gave  Humphrey  a  lien  or  claim  upon  the  office, 
and  Keith  and  Barnes  agreeing  to  become  responsible 
to  those  of  Sellon's  creditors  who  were  original  sub- 
scribers, and  still  owned  stock  in  the  concern,  for  the 
payment  of  their  claims,  the  office  was  again  placed 
on  a  business  footing,  and  early  in  January,  1851,  the 
Du  PAGE  COUNTY  OBSERVER,  was  issued  under  the 
management  of  Barnes,  Humphrey  and  Keith.  But 
the  miserable  failure  and  equivocal  conduct  of  Sellon 
threw  a  u  wet  blanket"  on  the  newspaper  business  of 
Du  PAGE  County,  from  which  it  has  never  yet  reco- 
vered, and  the  OBSERVER  never  proved  a  money 
making  concern. 

Mr.  Humphrey  continued  his  connection  with  the 
paper  until  April  6th,  1852,  when  he  disposed  of  his 
interest  to  Mr.  Gershom  Martin,  who  continued  the 
paper  two  years  more  in  connection  with  Barnes  and 
Keith.  In  March,  1854,  they  transferred  their  interest 
to  Mr.  Martin,  who  continued,  it  alone  until  the  first 
of  the  following  September,  when  he  suspended  its 
publication,  having  at  that  time  less  than  275  subscri- 
bers. Thus  the  OBSERVER,  after  a  precarious  existence 
of  three  years  and^eight  months,  expired.  During 
the  fall  of  1854  Mr.  Charles  W.  Keith,  believing  that 
a  paper  could  be  sustained  in  Du  PAGE  County,  bought 


DT7    PAGE    COUNTY.  G9 


the  office,  procured  a  new  and  larger  press,  and  in 
November,  1854,  started  the  Du  PAGE  COUNTY  JOUR- 
NAL, a  large  and  handsome  sheet,  and  a  decided 
improvement  on  the  former  ones.  The  JOURNAL  was 
continued  successively  by  C.  "W.  Keith;  Keith,  Edson 
&  Co. ;  J.  M.  Edson,  and  E.  M.  Day,  until  the  great 
and  disastrous  freshet  of  February,  1857,  when  the 
entire  office,  and  the  building  it  was  in,  was  carried 
away  .by  the  flood. 

Sometime  in  the  summer  of  1856,  the  citizens  of 
Wheaton,  a  town  which  had  grown  up  on  the  Galena 
railroad,  believing  the  interests  of  their  town  demanded 
such  an  enterprise,  procured  a  press,  and  commenced 
the  publication  at  their  place,  of  the  Du  PAGE  COUNTY 
GAZETTE,  J.  A.  J.  Birdsall  being  the  publisher.  It 
was  published  about  ten  months,  when  it  was  discon- 
tinued. At  present  there  is  but  one  paper  printed  in 
the  county.  The  NAPERVILLE  NEWSLETTER  is  published 
at  Naperville,  by  E.  PI.  Eyer.  It  is  a  very  respectable 
sheet  and  bids  fair  to  rival  its  predecessors  in  perma- 
nence and  usefulness. 


70  HISTORY     O  F 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  COUNTY,  ETC. 


The  law  organizing  the  county  was  approved  Feb- 
ruary 9th,  1839.  The  boundaries  of  the  county,  as 
speciried  in  the  first  section  of  the  act,  embraced  not 
only  the  present  limits,  but  the  north  half  of  two 
townships  of  Will  county.  The  same  section  contained 
a  proviso,  as  follows : 

"  That  no  part  of  the  county  above  described,  now  forming  a  part  of 
Will  county,  shall  be  included  within  the  said  county  of  Du  Page,  unless 
the  inhabitants  now  residing  in  said  part  of  Will  county  shall,  by  a  vote 
to  be  given  by  them  at  the  next  August  election,  decide,  by  a  majority 
of  legal  voters,  that  they  prefer  to  have  the  said  territory  made  a  part 
of  the  said  county  of  Du  Page." 

A  vote  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  half  townships 
was  had  at  the  election  mentioned  in  the  proviso 
quoted,  and  although  great  exertions  were  made  to 
produce  a  different  result,  the  proposition  was  rejected 
by  one  vote. 

By  the  fourth  section  of  the  act,  Ralph  Woodruff, 
of  La  Salle  county,  Seth  Reed,  of  Kane  county,  and 
II.  G.  Loomis,  of  Cook  county,  were  appointed  com- 
missioners to  locate  the  county  seat,  and  were  to  meet 
at  the  Preemption  House,  in  Naperville,  on  the  first 
Monday  of  June,  1839,  or  within  thirty  days  there- 
after. 

There  was  a  proviso  to  the  fourth  section,  as  follows  : 

"  The  said  commissioners  shall  obtain  for  the  county,  from  the  claim- 
ant, a  quantity  of  land,  not  less  than  three  acres,  nnd  three  thousand 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY. 


dollars,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  county  buildings ;  which  sum  shall 
be  secured  to  the  county  commissioner.*,  and  paid  out,  under  their 
directions,  for  the  purposes  aforesaid." 

Naperville  was  selected  as  the  county  seat,  and  on 
the  17th  day  of  June,  1839,  a  quit-claim  deed  was 
executed  to  the  county  commissioners,  conveying  all 
the  title  one  claimant  had  (the  undivided  half)  to  the 
present  public  square.  The  county  never  had  title  to 
the  other  half  as  a  claim. 

As  there  are  many  in  our  county  who  have  erroneous 
ideas  in  regard  to  the  title  of  the  county  to  the  public 
square,  upon  which  the  county  buildings  stand,  we 
here  insert  so  much  of  the  records  as  are  necessary  to 
give  a  correct  understanding  of  its  situation. 

By  reference  to  the  proceedings  of  the  county  com- 
missioners, we  find  that  on  the  7th  day  of  June,  1842, 
the  following  orders  were  entered  on  record  by  them, 
viz. : 

"  It  is  ordered  by  the  court  that  Bailey  Hobson  be  and  he  is  hereby 
appointed  a  commissioner  for  the  county  of  Du  Page,  to  apply  for,  and 
obtain  from  the  government  of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  pursu- 
ance of  the  act  of  congress  in  such  case  made  and  provided,  a  preemp- 
tion to  the  following  described  quarter  section  of  land,  to  wit :  The 
south-west  quarter  of  section  18,  township  38  north,  range  ten  east  of 
the  third  principal  meridian,  the  same  being  the  quarter  section  upon 
which  the  seat  of  justice  for  the  county  of  Do  PAGE  is  located." 

"  Wkereax,  Bailey  Hobson,  by  an  order  entered  on  the  records  of  this 
court,  has  been  appointed  a  commissioner  to  apply  for  and  obtain  from 
the  government  of  the  United  States,  a  preemption  to  the  south-west 
quarter  section  of  section  eighteen,  township  thirty-eight  north,  range 
ten  east  of  the  third  principal  meridian  for  the  use  of  said  county  of  Du 
PAGE,  and  there  being  several  persons  who  have  a  just  and  equitable 
claim  to  a  part  of  said  quarter  section,  it  is  ordered  by  this  court  that 
the  said  Bailey  Hobson,  commissioner  aforesaid,  be,  and  he  is  hereby 


72  ii  i  STORY   or 


authorized  and  empowered,  for  and  in  behalf  of  the  said  county  of  D0 
PAGE,  to  convey,  by  good  and  sufficient  deed,  to  all  those  persons,  sev- 
erally, who  have  a  just  and  equitable  claim  to  any  part  or  portion  of  said 
quarter  section,  the  several  proportions  which  any  such  individuals  may 
be  justly  entitled  to,  of  said  quarter  section  of  land,  upon  condition  that 
such  individuals  who  have  a  just  claim  to  any  portion  of  said  land  shall 
pay  to  the  said  commissioner,  for  the  use  of  said  county,  one  dollar  and 
twenty-five  cents  per  acre  for  the  several  proportions  they  are  entitled 
to,  together  with  a  further  sum  of  money  sufficient  to  cover  and  pay  any 
and  every  expense  which  the  count}'  aforesaid,  through  their  said  commis- 
sioner, may  have  to  incur  in  proving  a  preemption  to  said  quarter  sec- 
tion, and  all  their  expenses  attending  the  conveyance  of  said  land  from 
the  county  to  said  individuals." 

In  compliance  with  the  first  order,  a  preemption  was 
obtained  under  the  Act  of  Congress  of  1822,  by  Mr. 
Hobson,  as  commissioner  for  the  county,  to  the  S.  W£ 
Sec.  18,  T.  38  N.,R.  10  E.,  and  he,  as  such  commissioner, 
received  a  "duplicate"  for  the  land,  which  is  recorded 
in  the  recorder's  office,  in  book  one,  page  541. 
Whether  the  "  patent "  for  the  land  has  been  obtained 
from  the  land  office  or  not,  we  do  not  know. 

In  compliance  with  the  second  order  of  the  county- 
commissioner,  all  the  land  entered  by  the  commis- 
sioner, except  the  public  square,  was  conveyed  by 
him  to  C.  B.  Hosmer  and  Lewis  Ellsworth,  the  former 
receiving  a  deed  for  that  portion  lying  north  of  the 
"  Galena  road,"  and  the  latter  for  that  lying  south  of 
the  road. 

We  might  give  a  further  history  of  the  "  claim," 
but  as  it  is  foreign  to  our  intentions  to  state  anything 
more  than  what  is  necessary  to  explain  the  situation 
of  the  county  property,  we  forbear. 

About  $5,000  was  subscribed  by  the  citizens  of  Xa- 
perville  to  erect  a  court  house,  which  was  built  in  1839. 
The  brick  offices  were  subsequently  erected. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  73 

The  county  buildings,  after  a  lapse  of  nearly  twenty- 
years,  remain  in  statu  quo,  nothing  having  been  done  to 
beautify  the  grounds,  or  to  improve  their  convenience 
or  comfort.  In  view  of  the  possibility  of  their  removal, 
the  citizens  of  Naperville  filed  a  bond  in  the  clerk's 
office,  in  April,  1857,  which  obligates  them  to  enlarge 
and  improve  the  appearance  of  the  court  house  during 
the  present  summer.  The  citizens  of  the  county  are 
looking  for  a  faithful  execution  of  that  bond.  There 
being  no  correct  view  of  the  county  buildings  now 
extant,  we  are  obliged  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  pre- 
senting our  readers  with  a  representation  of  their 
massive  proportions.  Since  the  erection  of  the  county 
buildings,  the  judicial  courts  have  been  held  uniformly 
at  JSTaperville.  In  the  winter  of  1857,  the  Legislature 
passed  an  act,  authorizing  an  election  to  be  held  011  the 
first  Monday  in  May,  which  should  decide  the  question 
of  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  the  town  of 
Wheaton.  The  election  excited  considerable  agitation 
and  feeling,  but  the  attempt  was  unsuccessful.  Local 
jealousies  have  grown  out  of  it,  but  it  is  hoped  that 
they  will  now  cease,  and  the  great  object  be  to  elevate 
each  town  and  the  whole  county.  The  circuit  court 
holds  its  sessions  semi-annually,  on  the  second  Monday 
in  April,  and  the  third  Monday  in  October.  The 
present  presiding  judge  of  this  court  is  Hon.  J.  O. 
Norton,  of  Joliet.  The  probate  court  holds  its  sessions 
on  the  first  Monday  in  each  month.  The  present 
judge  of  probate  is  Walter  Elanchard,  of  Downer's 
Grove.  The  amount  of  litigation  carried  on  in  this 
county  is  very  small  in  proportion  to  the  population. 
The  sessions  of  the  circuit  court  seldom  last  more  than 
4 


74:  HISTORY    OF 


two  or  three  days.  There  has  been  but  one  execution 
in  this  county  for  capital  offense.  Patrick  Doyle,  a 
native  of  Ireland,  was  hung  at  ISfaperville,  in  1854, 
for  the  murder  of  Patrick  Tole. 

The  following  account  of  this  murder  is  taken  from 
the  Du  PAGE  OBSERVER,  of  October  26,  1853  : 

"  On  Monday  of  last  week  a  most  revolting  murder 
was  committed  on  the  line  of  the  Chicago,  St.  Charles 
and  Mississippi  Air  Line  Railroad,  in  this  county. 
The  particulars,  so  far  as  we  have  been  able  to  learn 
them,  are  about  as  follows :  Two  brothers,  Irishmen, 
named  Tole,  who  had  been  employed  upon  the  road, 
had  received  their  pay  in  the  morning,  amounting  to 
sixty  dollars,  and  had  quit  work.  They  were  indulging 
in  a  little  '  spree,'  and  one  of  them  became  very  drunk. 
An  Irishman  named  Doyle,  by  some  means  was  know- 
ing to  the  fact  of  their  having  the  money  in  their 
possession,  and  it  is  supposed  determined  upon  robbing 
them.  He  found  an  opportunity  to  make  the  attempt 
the  same  afternoon.  It  seems  all  three  were  traveling 
along  together  on  the  St.  Charles  and  Chicago  wagon 
road,  and  when  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Clisby,  one 
of  the  brothers  Tole  became  so  stupid  from  the  effects 
of  liquor  as  to  be  unable  to  proceed  further ;  in  other 
words,  he  was  dead  drunk,  and  fell  down  in  the  fence 
corner.  The  sober  brother  stopped  to  move  him,  and 
assist  him  to  proceed,  and  while  thus  engaged  over 
him,  Doyle,  it  would  seem,  conceived  the  fitting 
moment  to  have  arrived,  proceeded  to  the  fence, 
gathered  a  fence  stake,  and  returning  to  the  two 
brothers,  struck  the  sober  one  over  the  head,  and  con- 
tinued to  beat  him  until  he  was  senseless,  literally 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY. 


knocking  out  his  brains.  He  then  rifled  the  pockets 
of  the  drunken  one,  and  went  on  a  short  distance,  to  a 
house,  where  he  got  something  to  eat.  The  pocket 
book  which  contained  the  money  was  found  a  few  rods 
distant  from  the  murdered  man,  in  the  direction  of  the 
house  where  the  murderer  stopped.  He  then  went 
down  to  Warren  station,  but  -not  meeting  the  cars, 
proceeded  to  the  Junction,  where  he  took  the  Aurora 
train  for  Chicago.  He  was  immediately  pursued  to 
the  city,  information  and  a  description  of  his  person 
given  to  the  officers,  and  on  Thursday  afternoon, 
deputy  sheriff  S.  E.  Bradley  arrested  him  as  he  was 
walking  in  Randolph  street.  Sheriff  Smith  was  tele- 
graphed of  his  arrest,  and  started  early  on  Friday 
morning  and  brought  him  to  this  place  about  noon  of 
the  same  day:  The  grand  jury  had  not  yet  adjourned, 
and  an  indictment  was  found  against  him.  In  the 
afternoon  he  was  brought  into  court,  it  being  still  in 
session,  and  presented  with  a  copy  of  the  indictment. 
Having  no  counsel,  the  court  assigned  to  him  as  counsel, 
E.  N.  Murray,  Esq.,  assisted  by  ~N.  Allen,  Esq.  After 
consultation  with  the  State's  attorney,  it  was  agreed  to 
allow  the  prisoner  to  plead  to  the  indictment  at  the 
next  term  of  the  circuit  court,  upon  which  he  was 
committed  to  jail  to  await  his  trial  at  that  time. 
Coroner  Hagemann  held  an  inquest  over  the  body  of 
the  murdered  man,  and  the  verdict  of  the  jury  was 
that  he  came  to  his  death  by  being  willfully  murdered 
at  the  hands  of  Patrick  Doyle.  The  name  of  the 
deceased  was  Patrick  Tole,  and  he  is  about  25  years 
of  age.  The  prisoner  is  a  thin,  spare  man,  about  23 
or  24  years  of  age.  There  does  not  appear  to  have 


76  HISTORY    OF 


been  any  feud  or  quarrel  existing  between  the  brothers 
and  Doyle,  whatever,  nor  do  they  appear  to  have  been 
in  any  sort  of  an  affray  at  the  time  the  crime  was 
committed,  which  makes  the  case  look  still  more 
aggravated." 

The  following  is  a  list  of  those  who  have  served  the 
county  in  the  legislature  of  the  state : 

1836 — Capt.  JOSEPH  NAPER,  1848  —  "WARREN  L.  WHBATON, 

1838  —  Capt.  JOSEPH  NAPER,  1850 — WILLARD  T.  JONES, 

1842 — JKDUTHAN  HATCH,  1852 — Capt.  JOSEPH  NAPER, 

1844— JULIUS  M.  WARREN,  1854 — E.  0.  HILLS, 

1846 — Capt.  E.  KINNE,  1856 — TRUMAN  W.  SMITH. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  attorneys  who  have 
been  connected  with  the  Du  PAGE  County  bar :  Na- 
than Allen,  P.  Ballingall,  C.  B.  Hosrner,  O.  B..  Bush, 
James  F.  Wight,  Allen  Mclntosh,  A.  K.  Dodge,  II. 
Loring,  E.  1ST.  Murray,  H.  H.  Cody,  H.  F.  Vallette, 
W.  Blanchard,  S.  F.  Daniels,  J.  C.  Waldron,  L.  E. 
De  Wolf,  M.  S.  Hobson,  W.  O.  Watts. 

We  close  this  part  of  our  history  by  giving  the 
names  of  the  officers  of  the  county  from  its  organiza- 
tion to  the  present  time. 


LIST  OF  COUOTY  OFFICEKS. 


The  first  election  for  county  officers  was  held  at  the 
Preemption  House,  in  Naperville,  on  the  first  Monday 
in  May,  1839.  S.  M.  Skinner,  Stephen  J.  Scott,  and 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  77 

L.  G.  Butler  were,  by  law,  appointed  judges  of  elec- 
tion. The  officers  elected  at  this  time  served  until  the 
general  election,  Aug.  5th,  same  year.  As  the  names 
of  supervisors  are  inserted  in  the  lists  of  town  officers 
appended  to  the  histories  of  the  several  towns,  they  do 
not  appear  in  this  list. 

NAMES   OF   SHERIFFS. 
Elected, 

May,  1839 — Daniel  M.  Green Du  PAGE 

Aug.  1839  —Daniel  M.  Green " 

Aug.  1842  —  Harry  B.  Fowler " 

Aug.  1 844 — Robert  N.  Murray Naperville 

Aug.  1846  —George  Roush .  " 

Nov.  1850  —  C.  R.  Parmalee Lisle 

Nov.  1852— T.  W.  Smith Winfield. 

Nov.  1854  — A.  C.  Graves v. .         " 

Nov.  1856  — Janjes  J.  Hunt Naperville 


RECORDERS. 

May,  1839  —  S.  M.  Skinner 

Aug.  1843 — A.  S.  Jones 

Aug.  1847  —  J.  J.  Riddler 


In  1849  the  clerk  of  the  circuit  court  was  made 
ex-officio  recorder,  the  county  court  and  the  office  of 
probate  justice  were  succeeded  by  the  county  court, 
composed  of  a  county  judge  and  two  county  justices 
of  the  peace.  The  office  of  county  commissioner's 
clerk  was  succeeded  by  county  clerk,  the  county 
judge  and  the  two  county  justices  sitting  together  for 
the  transaction  of  county  business,  .and  the  county 
judge,  with  the  clerk,  constituting  a  court  for  the 
transaction  of  probate  business.  Under  this  provision, 
Kathan  Allen  was  elected  county  judge  in  1849,  and 
Charles  Gary  and  Peter  Korthmp  were  elected  county 


78  HISTOKYOF 


justices.  In  1850  the  township  organization  law  was 
adopted,  and  the  first  board  of  supervisors  elected. 
The  following  persons  have  held  the  office  of  clerk  of 
the  circuit  court : 

Appointed, 

1839— P.  Baffingall Naperville 

1843  — E.  B.  Bill " 

Elected, 

1849  —  John  J.  Riddler " 

'    1852 — Peter  Xorthrop Addison 

1856 — John  Glos Wayne 


CLERKS  OF  COUNTY  COMMISSIONER  8  COURT,  AND  COUNTY 


CLERKS. 


Elected, 

July  14,  1839 — Clark  A.  Lewis* Warrenville 

Aug.   5,  1839  —  Allen  Mclntosh Naperville 

Aug.        1843  — Allen  Mclntosh " 

Aug.       1847  — H.  H.  Cody Bloomingdale 

Re-elected, 

Aug.        1849 — H.  H.  Cody Bloomingdale 

Elected, 
1853— M.  C.  Dudley Bloomingdale 


PROBATE   JUSTICES   AND   COUNTY   JUDGES. 

Elected, 

May,  1839 — J.  W.  Walker Downer's  Grove 

Aug.  1839  —  Lewis  Ellsworth Naperville 

Aug.  1843  — Nathan  Allen " 

Aug.  1847— J.  J.  Kimball " 

Aug.  1849—  Nathan  Allenf •" 

Nov.  1852 — Jeduthan  Hatch Lisle 

Nov.  1853  —  Walter  Blanchard. .  .  .Downer's  Grove 


*  Died  same  month,  1S39,  and  vacancy  filled  by  appointment  of  P.  Ballingall. 
t  Resigned,  1852. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  79 


COUNTY    TREASURERS. 

Elected, 

May,  1839  —  M.  Sleight Naperville 

Aug.  1839— Stephen  J.  Scott " 

Aug.  1843  — R.  K.  Potter " 

Aug.  1845  — J.  J.  Kimball " 

Aug.  1847  — N.  A.  Thomas " 

Nov.  1849  — H.  F.  Vallette Milton 

Nov.  1851  — H.  F.  Vallette .  .Naperville 

Nov.  1853— H.  F.  Vallette " 

Nov.  1855  — W.  J.  Johnson. .  " 


SCHOOL    COMMISSIONERS. 

Elected, 

1841 — Lewis  Ellsworth Naperville 

1843  — R.  N.  Murray " 

1844 — Horace  Brooks ^  .  .Milton 

1847— W.  L.  Wheaton " 

1849 — Hope  Brown Naperville 

1851—          "  " 

1853—  "  " 

1855—  "          * " 

Appointed, 

1856 — Lorin  Barnes Bloomingdale 


COUNTY    COMMISSIONERS. 

Elected,  Elected, 

May,  1839  —  Josiah  Strong,  Aug.  1842  —  Warren  Smith, 

"          —  H.  L.  Cobb,  Aug.  1843  — T.  Hubbard, 

«          — T.  P.  Whipple,  Aug.  1844 — John  Thompson, 

Aug.  1839  — HartS.  Cobb,  Aug.  1845  — T.  Andrus, 

"          — John  W.  Walker,  "          — John  Thompson, 

"          — Hiram  Fowler,  Aug.  1846  —  Asa  Knapp, 

Aug.  1840— N.  Stevens,  Aug.  1847— S.  D.  Pierce, 

Aug.  1841  —  J.  A.  Smith,  Aug.  1848  —  David  Crane. 

*  Resigned,  September,  1866. 


80  H  I  S  T  O  R  Y    O  F 


COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 

Elected, 

May,  1839  —  L.  Meacham Bloomingdale 

Aug.  1839  —  J.  B.  Kimball Naperville 

Aug.  1847  —  Horace  Brooks Milton 

Nov.  1849—  "  " 

Nov.1851  —  "  " 

Nov.  1853—  ".  " 

Nov.  1855—  "  ......  " 


COEONEKS. 

Elected, 

May,  1839 — H.  L.  Peaslee Naperville 

Aug.  1839—  "  " 

Aug.  1840— E.  G.  Wight  " 

Aug.  1842  — N.  Loring " 

Aug.  1844— J.  Keefer " 

Aug.  1846  — D.  C.  Gould " 

Aug.  1848  —  L.  Avery Milton 

Nov.  1849  —  C.  C.  Barnes Naperville 

Nov.  1852— F.  C.  Hagemann Winfield 

Nov.  1854— W.  B.  Stewart Naperville 

Nov.  1856 — Alfred  Waterman. .  .  .Wheaton 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  81 

'    1 1  I  i  ' 


(•Iff  fop 

_ 


• 

A  HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF   MILTON. 


THE  settlement  of  this  town  was  commenced  in 
1831,  by  Harry  T.  Wilson  and  Lyman  Butterfield. 
Mr.  Babcock  and  Thomas  Brown  settled  in  the  town 
soon  after.  They  were  followed  by  Joseph  Chadwick 
and  his  sons. 

In  1850  the  present  township  organization  law  was 
adopted,  and  the  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  in  that  year. 

The  town  is  situated  nearly  in  the  centre  of  the 
county,  and  is  six  miles  square.  The  Galena  and 
Chicago  Union  Railroad  passes  directly  through  it. 
The  present  population  Js  about  two  thousand.  As 
an  agricultural  district,  this  town  is  unsurpassed,  being 
adapted  to  all  the  various  branches  of  farming.  It 
presents  a  beautiful  and  varied  landscape  of  prairie 
and  woodland,  hill  and  dale,  running  brooks  and 
crystal  founts.  In  its  present  and  future  prospects, 
this  town  affords  a  picture  which  some  of  New 
England's  towns  might  well  envy. 

There  are  two  nourishing  villages  within  the  limits 
of  this  town,  Wheaton  and  Dauby .  Wheaton  is  a 
fine,  growing  village,  beautifully  situated  on  the  G. 
and  C.  IT.  Railroad,  25  miles  west  of  Chicago,  and  5 
miles  east  of  the  Junction  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Rail- 
road, the  Dixon  Air  Line  Railroad,  and  the  St.  Charles 
Branch  road  ;  thus  rendering  access  to  the  town  direct 

4* 


.^VVAl 

82  HISTORY    OF 


and  easy  from  all  points.  Jesse  C.  and  "Warren  L. 
Wheaton  were  the  original  proprietors  of  the  village, 
which  was  laid  -out  by  them  in  1853.  In  the  fall  of 
1849  the  railroad  was  completed  to  this  point,  and 
during  the  following  year  Messrs.  J.  G.  Vallette,  H. 
II.  Fuller,  and  a  Mr.  Lynch  erected  the  first  buildings. 
Few  improvements  were  made  until  it  was  surveyed 
and  platted  in  1853.  There  are  now  about  1,000 
inhabitants  within  the  village  limits,  and  upward  of 
200  buildings  have  been  erected.  The  railroad  com- 
pany erected  a  commodious  building  in  1856,  for  their 
use  as  a  depot  for  passengers  and  freight,  in  connection 
with  which  is  an  express  office.  The  following  list  of 
the  business  establishments  of  the  town  will  give  some 
idea  of  its  wants,  growth  and  prosperity,  when  it  is 
considered  that  scarcely  four  years  ago  there  were  not 
more  than  two  or  three  dwellings  to  be  found  in  the 
place.  There  are  now  :  1  hotel,  12  stores,  12  factories, 
including  an  extensive  carriage  manufactory,  and  a 
steam  flouring  mill,  2  lightning  rod  manufactories,  2 
lumber  yards,  2  markets,  2  post  offices,  1  school  house, 
1  institute,  1  printing  office,  1  nursery.  The  amount 
of  capital  employed  by  the  principal  business  men, 
varies  between  three  and  five  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  annual  sales  range  between  ten  and  fifteen  thousand 
dollars.  At  the  carriage  manufactory  of  Messrs. 
Chadwick,  Brother  &  Co.,  some  fifteen  hands  are 
employed  and  about  fifty  carriages  of  every  description 
made  annually.  The  steam  flour  mill  was  built  in 
1856,  by  Messrs.  Northrop  &  Watson.  This  mill  has 
two  run  of  stones,  and  produces  flour  of  a  superior 
quality. 


DU    PAGK    COUNTY.  83 

The  Baptist,  "Wesleyan  and  Episcopal  Methodist 
denominations  each  have  their  respective  church 
organizations,  connected  with  which  are  Sabbath 
schools,  missionary  societies,  and  various  benevolent 
enterprises.  The  truly  reformatory  movements  of  the 
day  find  warm  supporters  here,  so  much  so  that  it  has 
been  denominated  a  "reformatory  town."  The  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  and  Wesleyan  Methodist  churches  had 
their  organizations  in  the  town  prior  to  the  settlement 
of  the  village.  The  present  membership  of  the  "Wes- 
leyan  church  is  about  75,  and  the  Rev.  Lucius  C. 
Matlack,  President  of  the  Illinois  Institute,  is  the 
pastor.  There  are  about  60  members  of  the  M.  E. 
church,  and  Rev.  B.  Close  is  pastor.  The  Baptist 
church  of  Wlieaton  was  organized  on  the  12th  of 
November,  1856,  by  a  council  from  the  neighboring 
churches,  with  the  usual  services  of  church  recognition. 
There  are  now  17  members  of  this  church.  The 
present  pastor  is  Rev.  Mr.  Garrison. 

A  printing  office  was  established  here  in  1856,  from 
which  was  issued  for  several  months  the  Du  PAGE 
COUNTY  GAZETTE,  by  J.  A.  J.  Birdsall.  This  paper 
was  discontinued  in  the  spring  of  1857,  for  want  of 
sufficient  patronage  to  sustain  it. 

A  military  company  was  organized  in  this  place  in 
1856,  called  the  "  Wheaton  Artillery."  The  officers 
of  the  company  are  John  Short,  Captain ;  J.  G.  Val- 
lette,  1st  Lieut. ;  J.  M.  Yallette,  2d  Lieut.  Number 
of  members,  40. 

The  Illinois  Institute  is  located  in  this  place.  It 
has  a  liberal  charter,  conferring  powers  equal  to  the 
best  colleges,  and  embraces  academical,  collegiate  and 


HISTORY    OF 


.  - 

theological  departments  of  instruction.  The  charter 
was  granted  by  the  Legislature,  in  1855.  Forty  acres 
of  valuable  land  and  three  thousand  dollars  cash 
donation,  formed  the  basis  of  its  establishment.  The 
fund  has  been  increased  by  additional  gifts,  so  that  the 
value  of  real  estate  owned  by  the  trustees  is  now 
upward  of  $10,000.  The  sum  of  five  hundred  dollars 
was  raised  by  subscription,  in  1856,  with  which  chem- 
ical, philosophical  and  astronomical  apparatus  was  pro- 
cured for  the  institution.  Add  to  these  the  amount 
of  scholarships  sold,  which  is  'nearly  $20,000,  and  we 
have  an  aggregate  of  nearly  $30,000.  This  amount 
is  to  be  offset  by  a  debt  of  $2,500.  So  great  a  success 
within  a  little  more  than  three  years  of  its  existence, 
is  an  encouraging  fact,  and  promises  well  for  the 
future.  It  is  the  design  of  the  trustees  to  secure  to 
the  institution  a  permanent  endowment  fund  of 
$100,000,  by  the  sale  of  scholarships.  Its  catalogue 
for  the  first  year  numbered  140  students,  the  second 
year  270,  and  its  present  prospects  are  more  flattering 
than  at  any  previous  period.  The  following  list  com- 
prises the  faculty  of  1856  : 

Rev.  Lucius  C.  MATLACK,  President 

G.  H.  COLLIER,  A.B.,  Prof.  Mathematics  and  Natural  Philosophy. 

0.  F.  LTJMRY,  A.B.,  Prof.  Greek  and  Latin. 

Miss  M.  A.  NEWCOMB,  A.B.,  Principal  Female  Department. 

Mrs.  MINERVA  HOES,  M.D.,  Anatomy,  Physiology,  and  Botany. 

SEBASTIAN  PFRAXGLE,  German  and  Music. 

L.  A.  JONES,  Assistant  Teacher. 

In  connection  with  the  Institute,  a  commodious 
boarding  hall  has  been  erected,  at  an  expense  of  nearly 
$3,000. 


UU    PAGE     COUNTY.  85 

There  are  two  post  offices  in  the  town,  one  at 
Wheaton,  and  one  at  the  village  of  Danby.  Post 
master  at  Wheaton,  0.  K.  W.  'Howard.  At  Danby, 
David  Kelly. 

There  are  seven  school  districts  in  the  town.  The 
original  fund  derived  from  the  sale  of  school  land  was 
$800.  It  is  now  $1,238  82.  The  public  schools  are 
attended  .by  790  scholars.  Township  treasurer,  L. 
"W.  Mills.  Few  towns  in  the  county  have  done  more 
than  this,  to  advance  the  interests  of  public  schools. 

Danby  is  an  unusually  pleasant  and  quiet  village, 
beautifully  located  on  the  Galena  Railroad,  about  23 
miles  west  of  Chicago.  The  railroad  was  completed  to 
this  place  in  the  fall  of  1849.  During  the  same  season 
the  railroad  company  erected  a  station  house,  which 
was  the  first  frame  building  put  up  in  the  place. 
In  the  spring  of  1850,  the  first  settlement  was  made 
by  John  O.  Yallette.  Milo  F.  Meacham,  A.  Hantz, 
"W.  Wilson,  Win.  Waggoner,  and  Dr.  L.  Q.  Newton, 
the  original  proprietor  of  the  town,  came  in  during 
the  following  year. 

The  place  has  grown  rapidly  during  the  last  two  or 
three  years,  and  bids  fair  to  rival  some  of  its  sister 
towns  of  much  greater  pretensions.  Its  present  popu- 
lation is  between  three  and  four  hundred.  It  has 
1  hotel,  2  drug  stores,  3  dry  goods  stores,  1  cabinet 
shop,  1  grist  mill,  1  tin  and  hardware  store,  1  black- 
smith shop,  and  1  lumber  yard. 

Physicians  at  Wheaton,  O.  Wakelee,  F.  C.  Hage- 
mann,  J.  O.  Vallette,  Dr.  Lowrie,  and  A.  Waterman. 

Physicians  at  Dauby,  L.  Q.  Newton,  II.  S.  Potter, 
and  Dr.  Saxe. 


86  HISTORYOF 


Attorneys  at  Wheatou,  S.  F.  Daniels  and  L.  E. 
DeWolf.  Notaries  Public,  S.  F.  Daniels  and  J.  G. 
Vallette,  at  Wheaton,  and  Horace  Brooks,  who  is  also 
county  surveyor,  at  Danby. 

The  following  list  comprises  the  names  of  the  town 
officers  of  the  town  of  Milton,  since  its  organization  : 

SUPERVISORS  : 

J850  —  Warren  L.  Wheaton,  1854  —  W.  J.  Johnson, 

1851  — W.J.  Johnson,  1855—  " 

1852  —            "  1856  —  F.  H.  Mather, 
1853—             "  1857—  " 


TOWN  CLERKS. 

1 850  —  Alfred  Standish,  1854  —  Carlos  Johnson, 

1851  — J.  F.  Lester,  1855  — Henry  Benjamin, 

1852  —  J.  0.  Vallette,  1856  —  G.  P.  Kimball,* 

1853  —  Carlos  Johnson,  1857  — L.  W.  Mills. 


ASSESSORS  : 

1850  —  J.  G.  Vallette,  1854  —  Horace  Brooks, 

1851  —  Horace  Brooks,  1855  —  " 

1852—  "  1856  —  D.  Balsley, 

1853—  "  1857— J.  C.  Wheaton. 


COLLECTORS : 

1850  —  Smith  Brookins,  1854  —  0.  Jewell, 

1851  — D.  L.  Christian,  1855  —  C.  K.  W.  Howard, 

1852  —  Andrew  Snyder,  1856  —  Luther  Chadwick, 

1853  —  Jesse  C.  Wheaton,  1857  —  C.  K.  W.  Howard. 


CONSTABLES  : 

1850  —  J.  G.  Vallette,  1854  —  Reub6n  Hinzen, 

1851  —  D.  L.  Christian,  1855  —  D.  Balsley, 

Smith  Brookins,  C.  K.  W.  Howard, 

1852  —  Joseph  Mason,  1856  —  David  Balsley, 

1853  —  David  Brookins,  1857—  " 

*Resigned,  and  vacancy  filled  by  L.  W.  Mills. 


DTJ    PAGE    COUNTY.  87 

OVERSEERS  OF  THE   POOR  : 

1850  —  Erastus  Gary,  1854  —  Orlando  Wakelee, 

1851  —  David  Capron,  1855  —  J.  G.  Vallette, 

1852  —  John  Hacket,  1856  —  J.  D.  Ackerman, 

1853  —  Lester  Webster,  1857  —  " 


JUSTICES   OF   THE   PEACE: 

1850  —  Erastus  Gary,  to  present  time. 

Daniel  Fish,  " 

1853  — Daniel  Fish.  " 


COMMISSIONERS    OF   HIGHWAYS: 

1850  —  John  Hacket,  1 854  —  Thomas  Holmes, 

J.  C.  Wheaton,  F.  H.  Mather, 

Daniel  Tish,  Johiel  Wright, 

1851  —  J.  C.  Wheaton,  1855  —  Thomas  Holmes, 

J.  S.  Dodge,  N.  M.  Dodge, 

Frank  Ott,  Jehiel  Wright, 

1852  —  Daniel  Fish,  1856  —  Daniel  Fish, 

Erastus  Gary,  Greenleaf  Ring, 

Enos  Jones,  John  Bachelder, 

1853  —  A.  Snyder,  1857  —  W.  N.  Reese, 

Enos  Jones,  H.  Hadley, 

J.  G.  Vallette,  Joseph  Granger. 


88  HISTORY    OF 


A    HISTOEY    OF    THE    TOWN    OF 
NAPERVILLE. 


THE  first  inhabitant  of  this  town  was  Capt.  Joseph 
Naper,  who  came  to  this  state  from  Ohio,  in  the 
winter  of  1831.  His  family  arrived  in  June,  of  the 
same  year,  and  occupied  a  log  house,  near  the  present 
site  of  the  grist  mill.  The  following  list  includes  the 
names  of  all  we  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  who 
settled  in  the  town  previous  to  1838 :  John  Naper,  Ira 
Carpenter,  John  Stevens,  John  Murray,  M.  Hines,  A. 
H.  Howard,  S.  J.  Scott,  Willard  Scott,  L.  Ellsworth, 

A.  S.  Jones,  S.  Sabin,  Geo.  Martin.  L.  C.  Aldrich, 
H.  L.  Peaslee,  R.  Hyde,  Geo.  Stroubler,  G.  Bishop, 
J.  H.  Stevenson,  W.  Rose,  R.  Wright,  E.  G.  Wight, 
J.  F.  Wight,  S.  M.  Skinner,  W.  Weaver,  J.  Granger, 
N.  Crampton,  W.  J.  Strong,  R.  Whipple,  IT.  Stanley, 
T.  Thatcher,  A.  T.  Thatcher,  J.  Lamb,  R.  N.  Murray, 
R.  Hill,  David  Babbitt,  H.  C.  Babbitt,  J.  S.  Kimball,  J. 

B.  Kimball,  L.  Kimball,  Harry  Fowler,  Hiram  Fowler, 
R.  K.  Potter,  J.  J.  Kimball,  Adial  S.  Jones,  Peter 
Dodd,  Nathan  Allen,  Benjamin  Smith. 

As  the  history  of  the  first  few  years  of  the  settlement 
of  this  town  has  already  been  given  in  the  general 
view  of  the  county,  a  repetition  of  it  is  deemed  un- 
necessary in  this  place.  The  land  in  this  town  is 
generally  level.  The  soil  is  productive,  and  equally 
favorable  to  grass  and  the  cultivation  of  grain.  The 
town  abounds  in  limestone,  and  furnishes  lime  in 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  89 

considerable  quantities  for  market  in  other  towns.  In 
the  east  part  of  the  town,  stone  of  an  excellent  quality 
for  building  purposes  is  found, -and  large  quantities  are 
quarried  for  that  purpose  annually,  upon  land  owned 
by  Joseph  Xaper  and  George  Martin.  Extensive  sand 
beds  have  also  been  opened,  which  yield  an  abundance 
of  sand  of  a  superior  quality. 

Although  the  town  is  well  watered,  yet  there  are  no 
streams  of  much  note,  excepting  the  Du  Page  river, 
which  runs  through-it  from  north  to  south,  on  the  east 
side.  This  stream  affords  several  advantageous  mill 
sites  in  its  course  through  the  town. 

Naperville  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  county,  and  the 
first  in  point  of  property  and  population.  It  has  up- 
ward of  two  thousand  inhabitants,  2  hotels,  12  stores, 
6  churches,  1  bakery,  1  bank,  2  post  offices,  1  grist  mill, 
10  manufactories,  1  saw  mill,  2  breweries,  1  tin  and 
stove  warehouse,  1  printing  office,  2  quarries,  2  exten- 
sive lumber  yards,  2  nurseries,  and  1  incorporated 
academy. 

The  town  pays  $3,400  annually  for  the  support  of 
preaching,  and  about  $1,500  for  the  support  of  common 
schools.  There  are  400  members  of  the  different 
churches,  and  350  .scholars  in  the  Sabbath  schools. 

The  village  of  Naperville  lies  partly  in  the  town  of 
Lisle,  being  divided  by  the  town  line  into  two  unequal 
parts,  the  greater  lying  in  the  town  of  Naperville.  In 
our  notice  of  the  village,  we  include  the  territory  lying 
within  its  limits  in  both  towns.  The  first  frame  build- 
ing erected  here  was  by  A.  II.  Howard,  in  the  fall  of 
1833.  It  was  erected  a-  few  rods  in  front  of  the 
present  dwelling  of  Mrs.  Howard.  Among  the  build- 
ings next  put  up  of  this  description  was  the  Preemption 


90  HISTORY    OF 


House,  by  Mr.  George  Laird,  in  1835.  This  hotel  was 
owned  and  under  the  management  of  Gen.  E.  B.  Bill, 
for  several  years,  during  which  time  no  hotel  west  of 
Chicago  enjoyed  a  more  extended  and  well-deserved 
patronage.  The  road  passing  through  the  village  from 
east  to  west,  was  the  great  thoroughfare  between 
Chicago  and  Galena,  and  the  town  presented  the 
appearance  of  an  unusually  active  and  business-like 
place.  At  a  very  early  date  it  is  said  the  size  of  the 
town  exceeded  even  that  of  Chicago !  the  latter  city 
having  but  one  log  house,  while  Naperville  had  two. 
The  first  mill  constructed  upon  the  river  was  a  saw- 
mill, in  1835,  which  was  torn  down  in  1840,  to  give 
place  to  the  flouring  mill  which  stands  upon  the  same 
site.  This  mill  has  two  run  of  stones,  and  enjoys 
unsurpassed  advantages  for  water  power. 

The  original  town  plat  was  laid  out  in  the  year  1835, 
by  Capt.  Naper.  The  plat  embraced  about  80  acres. 
To  the  original  plat,  several  additions  have  since  been 
made.  The  usual  form  of  the  village  lots  in  the 
original  plat  was  four  rods  front  by  ten  in  depth,  con- 
taining one-fourth  acre.  These  were  large,  compared 
with  some  which  have  been  laid  out  in  more  modern 
times.  The  precise  reason  for  this  diminution  in  size 
has  never  been  ascertained  with  certainty.  Several 
reasons  have  been  assigned.  One  presumption  is, 
that  there  was  formerly  more  land  to  the  acre  than 
there  now  is.  Another  is,  that  the  land  is  more  valu- 
able than  it  used  to  be  ;  but  this  is  controverted  by  the 
fact  that  the  large  lots  are  sold  at  the  same,  or  lower 
prices,  than  the  prices  at  which  the  smaller  ones  are 
held.  Some  think  the  true  reason  lies  in  persons,  and 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  91 

not  in  property.  No  fault,  however,  can  be  found 
with  the  early  proprietors  of  the  town,  either  in 
regard  to  size  of  lots,  or  as  to  the  terms  on  which 
they  were  sold.  Many  lots  were  given  away,  and 
others  were  sold  at  low  prices,  and  upon  such  terms, 
as  to  time,  that  they  have  not  been  paid  for  even  to 
this  clay.  Everything  was  done  in  this  respect,  that 
could  add  to  the  prosperity  of  the  place. 

The  mercantile  business,  aside  from  agriculture,  is 
the  chief  business  of  the  town.  The  principal  stores 
employ  capitals  of  between  six  and  eight  thousand 
dollars,  and  do  a  business  ranging  from  thirty  to  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  annually.  They  sell  large  amounts 
of  goods,  not  only  to  the  inhabitants  of  this,  but  of 
surrounding  towns.  Integrity  is  a  marked  character- 
istic of  the  dealings  of  the  merchants  of  Naperville. 
This,  in  connection  with  the  uniformly  low  prices  at 
which  they  sell  their  goods,  has  secured  to  them  a 
liberal  and  extended  patronage. 

There  are  two  large  nurseries  near  the  village,  from 
which  trees  and  shrubs  are  sent  to  all  parts  of  the 
northwest.  We  have  been  furnished  some  account  of 
the  business  of  these  nurseries,  which  we  give  below  : 

The  Du  Page  Eclectic  Nurseries  were  established  in 
1853,  by  E.  W.  and  E.  M.  Hunt.  During  the  four 
years  past  these  nurseries  have  propagated,  in  each 
year,  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
fruit  trees.  Ornamental  trees  and  shrubbery  have 
been  proportionally  increased,  and  some  thousands  of 
foreign  trees  and  shrubs  have  been  added  by  importa- 
tion, as  the  business  has  justified.  The  Du  Page 
County  Nurseries,  of  Lewis  Ellsworth  &  Co.,  were 


92  H  I  S  T  O  K  Y    O  F 


established  in  1849.  These  nurseries  cover  at  present 
some  fifty  acres  of  ground,  embracing  in  the  collection 
the  most  extensive  stock  and  assortment  of  varieties  of 
fruit  and  ornamental  trees,  shrubs  and  plants,  to  be 
found  in  the  northwest.  The  yearly  increase  of  trees 
and  shrubs,  by  propagation  and  by  importation,  is  truly 
astonishing.  The  proprietors  have  imported  during 
the  present  season,  from  Europe,  more  than  thirty 
thousand  young  evergreens  and  other  plants.  Attached 
to  the  establishment  is  a  plant  house,  arranged  for  pro- 
pagating plants  during  the  winter  season.  The  estab- 
lishment gives  employment  to  a  large  number  of 
workmen,  some  ten  families  deriving  their  entire 
support  from  it.  From  fifteen  to  twenty  men  are 
employed,  at  an  expense  of  over  six  thousand  dollars 
per  annum.  During  the  present  year  the  proprietors 
have  commenced  a  nursery  at  Wheaton,  where  about 
eight  acres  .of  land  are  occupied,  making,  in  all,  sixty 
acres,  cultivated  for  their  business. 

There  are  several  other  nurseries  in  the  county,  but 
the  Du  Page  County  ^Nurseries  are,  it  is  believed,  the 
first  in  time  and  the  first  in  importance. 

The  plow  and  wagon  shop  of  Messrs.  Yaughan  & 
Peck  is  located  in  this  village.  It  was  originally 
established  by  A.  S.  Jones,  who  is  entitled  to  the  credit 
of  originating  the  steel  plow  now  so  much  in  use. 
The  manufacture  of  plows  at  this  shop  commenced  in 
1840.  They  possess  many  superior  qualities,  for  which 
they  have  become  extensively  noted  throughout  the 
west.  From  its  circular,  we  learn  that  "this  estab- 
lishment is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  western  states, 
having  manufactured  the  steel  scouring  plow  for 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  93 

eighteen  or  twenty  years,  and  never  been  beaten  at 
any  state  or  county  fair."  The  establishment  is  capable 
of  making  fifteen  plows  per  day.  .Two  thousand  five 
hundred  were  manufactured  in  1856.  The  average 
price  of  these  plows  is  $15  each.  Wagons,  buggies, 
and  most  kinds  of  agricultural  implements  are  made 
here.  Thirty-six  men  are  employed. 

The  Bank  of  Naperville  was  chartered  and  went 
into  operation  in  1854.  Its  nominal  capital  is  $500,000. 
This  bank  is  established  upon  a  basis  which  renders  it 
as  secure  as  any  similar  institution  in  the  state,  and 
gives  it  the  full  confidence  of  the  public. 

There  are  two  breweries  in  the  town,  which  consume 
annually  fifteen  thousand  bushels  of  barley,  and  eleven 
thousand  pounds  of  hops,  at  a  cost  of  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars. From  these,  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  thousand 
gallons  of  beer  are  made,  which,  at  the  usual  retail 
price,  reaches  the  enormous  sum  of  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  thousand,  eight  hundred  dollars !  Al- 
though beer  is  to  some  extent  an  article  of  home  con- 
sumption, it  having  in  many  instances  superseded  the 
use  of  that  ancient  beverage  known  by  the  name  of 
water,  yet  it  forms  our  chief  article  of  export.  The 
sale  of  this  article  in  some  of  our  neighboring  towns 
is  very  large. 

A  few  words  concerning  the  process  of  manufactur- 
ing beer  may  be  of  interest  to  some.  The  barley  is 
first  put  into  large  cisterns  or  vats,  which  are  capable 
of  holding  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels.  Water  is  then  poured  upon  it,  and  in  this 
condition  it  remains  for  about  two  days.  It  is  then 
spread  out  about  one  foot  in  depth  upon  the  floor  of 


9-±  HISTORYOF 


the  drying  kiln,  which  consists  of  an  immense  oven, 
so  arranged  that  its  temperature  can  be  adjusted  to  the 
germinating  point.  Here  the  process  of  germinating, 
or  malting,  as  it  is  termed,  takes  place.  After  this,  it 
is  passed  through  a  cleaning  machine,  and  then  through 
a  malt  machine,  by  which  last  process  it  is  ground  or 
broken  so  that  its  virtue  can  be  more  easily  extracted. 
The  malt,  as  it  is  then  termed,  is  gathered  up  and 
placed  in  vats  holding  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
barrels  each,  when  boiling  water  is  poured  upon  it. 
After  remaining  several  hours  in  this  condition,  during 
which  time  the  mixture  is  constantly  agitated  by  means 
of  long  wooden  ladles,  the  liquid  portion  is  drained 
off  and  boiled  for  some  time  in  large  boilers  prepared 
for  the  purpose.  This  process  is  repeated  three  or 
four  times,  or  until  the  strength  of  the  barley  is  all 
extracted.  Hops  are  then  introduced,  which  give  it 
body,  and  serve  to  preserve  it  during  the  warm  season. 
The  liquid  is  then  placed  in  another  large  vat,  called 
the  cooler,  and  when  its  temperature  is  reduced  to  the 
proper  point,  is  drawn  off  into  the  work  tub,  where 
yeast  is  introduced,  and  the  finishing  process  of  fer- 
mentation begins.  By  this  process  all  extraneous 
matter  is  separated  and  thrown  off,  and  the  liquid 
comes  out  lager  beer  "  of  the  first  water,"  impatient  to 
be  swallowed. 

The  Odd  Fellows,  Masons,  and  Good  Templars  have 
each  a  society  and  hall  in  this  place.  There  was  at 
one  time  a  large  society  of  the  Sons  and  Daughters  of 
Temperance  here,  but  their  charter  was  surrendered 
in  1854. 

The  I.  O.  of  O.  F.  was  organized  in  1850.    The 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  95 

number  of  members  has  been  about  60,  and  the  present 
number  is  48.  The  present  officers  of  this  institution 
are  S.  Boliman,  K  G. ;  W.  Naper,  V.  G. ;  S.  O. 
Yaughan,  Secretary,  and  K.  "Willard,  Treasurer. 

The  Masonic  Lodge  was  established  in  1848.  The 
number  of  all  the  members  to  the  present  time  is  120. 
There  are  now  about  60  members.  The  officers  are 
II.  H.  Cody,  W.  M. ;  C.  D.  Haight,  S.  W. ;  and  C. 
W.  Keith,  J.  W. 

Tlie  lodge  of  the  Good  Templars  was  instituted  in 
June,  1857.  There  are  now  40  members.  E.  H. 
Eyer  holds  the  office  of  W.  C.  T. 

It  might  be  mentioned  in  this  connection,  that  the 
"  Know  Nothings "  had  a  lodge  somewhere  in  this 
place  about  a  year  ago,  but  their  precise  locality  has 
never  been  fully  determined.  A  list  of  the  members 
has  been  furnished  us,  but  our  space  will  not  admit  of 
its  publication.  The  doings  of  the  society  were  char- 
acteristically covert  and  sly,  so  that  we  are  obliged  to 
admit  that  we  know  nothing  about  their  movements. 

The  Naperville  Artillery  Company  was  organized 
in  1856.  There  are  now  some  50  members  belonging 
to  the  company.  The  officers  are  J.  J.  Hunt,  Capt. ; 
II.  F.  Yallette,  1st  Lieut. ;  K.  Naper,  2d  Lieut. :  J. 
H.  Ilobson,  3d  Lieut.,  and  E.  Page,  Ensign. 

There  are  two  post  offices  in  the  town,  one  at  Kaper- 
ville,  and  one  at  Big  Woods.  The  post  master  at  the 
Big  "Woods  is  John  Warne.  The  office  at  Naperville 
has  an  annual  income  of  one  thousand  dollars ;  R. 
Naper,  post  master. 

There  are  several  valuable  public  and  private  libra- 
ries in  the  town.  The  circulating  library  of  H.  C. 


96  HISTORY    OF 


Daniels,  M.  D.,  contains  400  volumes  of  miscellaneous 
reading.  There  are  two  school  libraries  of  about  500 
volumes,  and  four  Sabbath  school  libraries,  containing 
about  1,000  volumes.  The  law  library  of  Messrs. 
Yallette  &  Cody  contains  500  volumes,  and  is  the 
largest  collection  of  the  kind  in  the  county. 

The  freshet  of  1857  was  a  calamity  to  the  town. 
This  occurred  in  March.  The  river,  swollen  by  the 
heavy  rains  and  the  melting  snow,  overflowed  its  banks 
and  inundated  all  the  business  portion  of  the  town. 
Soon  after  the  stream  commenced  rising,  the  mill-dam 
gave  way  and  let  down  upon  the  town  an  avalanche 
of  water,  bearing  upon  its  swift  current  large  sheets  of 
ice,  which  demolished  everything  in  their  way.  The 
rise  of  the  water  was  so  sudden  that  many  of  the 
inmates  of  the  houses  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  with  great  difficulty  escaped.  Several  buildings, 
including  three  stores,  were  carried  away.  The  loss 
is  variously  estimated,  between  fifteen  and  twenty 
thousand  dollars,  and  was  chiefly  sustained  by  Messrs. 
M.  Hines,  J.  T.  Green,  K.  Wfflard,  C.  W.  Keith  and 
Joseph  Naper. 

The  village  of  Naperville  was  incorporated  by  act 
of  Legislature  in  the  winter  of  1857.  The  first  election 
of  officers  for  the  corporation  was  held  in  May  follow- 
ing. The  names  of  the  Board  elected  at  that  time  are 
as  follows :  President,  Joseph  Naper ;  Trustees,  II.  EL 
Cody,  Geo.  Martin,  M.  Hines  and  X.  Eggerman; 
Police  Justice,  II.  F.  Yallette ;  Constable,  A.  C. 
Graves;  Assessor,  A.  "W.  Colt;  Clerk,  C.  M.  Castle. 

Our  space  will  not  admit  of  our  entering  into  the 
details  of  the  ecclesiastical  history  of  this  town.  The 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  97 

first  effort  toward  organizing  a  religious  society  was 
made  by  settlers  in  this  and  the  adjoining  town  of 
Lisle,  as  early  as  1833.  A  meeting  was  held  in  Lisle 
on  the  13th  of  July,  in  that  year,  and  a  society  organ- 
ized by  Rev.  Jeremiah  Porter  and  Rev.  X.  C:  Clark, 
missionaries  for  this  county,  and  Rev.  C.  "W.  Babbitt, 
of  Tazewell  county.  This  meeting  was  called  at  the 
request  of  Isaac  Clark,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  Israel 
Blodget,  Robert  Strong,  Leister  Peet,  Henry  H.  Good- 
rich, and  Samuel  Goodrich.  The  society  commenced 
its  labors  with  true  Christian  zeal,  and  its  numbers 
rapidly  increased.  Among  the  first  resolutions  adopted 
by  the  society,  we  find  the  following : 

Resolved,  That  the  minister,  as  soon  as  practicable,  shall  visit  every 
family  in  the  settlement,  and  that  each  member  of  the  brethren,  in  turn, 
when  called  upon,  shall  accompany  him,  to  ascertain  the  state  of  reli- 
gious feeling,  and  to  awaken  attention  to  the  subject,  and  especially  to 
explain  the  object  and  plan  of  Sabbath  schools,  and  the  distribution  of 
tracts. 

Rev.  X.  C.  Clark  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  society. 
Meetings  were  held  during  the  year  at  different  places 
in  the  south  part  of  the  settlement,  for  three  Sabbaths 
in  succession,  and  the  fourth  in  the  school  house  at 
Xaperville.  Punctuality  in  attendance  upon  the  meet- 
ings of  the  society  was  strictly  enjoined,  and  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  notice  the  absence  of  any,  and  call 
on  him  at  the  next  meeting,  for  his  reason.  In  1834, 
the  society  raised  one  hundred  dollars  to  help  defray 
the  expenses  of  •  their  pastor.  During  the  year  of 
1835  Mr.  Clark  preached  regularly  upon  the  first  and 
fifth  Sabbaths  of  each  month  at  his  own  house,  on  the 
second  and  fourth  at  Naperville,  and  on  the  third  in 


HISTORY    OP 


the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Luther  Hatch.  He  continued 
as  their  pastor  until  July,  1836.  "With  a  pledge  of 
three  hundred  dollars,  and  the  assistance  of  the  Home 
Missionary  Society,  the  society  next  secured  the  services 
of  Rev.  E.  Strong,  who  remained  with  them  until 
August,  1837.  The  Rev.  J.  G.  Porter  then  became 
their  pastor,  and  served  the  society  faithfully  and 
acceptably  until  July,  1840,  when,  at  his  own  solicita- 
tion, he  was  dismissed.  During  the  years  of  1838  and 
1839  the  society  began  to  feel  the  need  of  a  house  of 
worship  which  should  be  their  own.  A  vote  was 
passed,  at  a  meeting  held  in  September,  1838,  to  build 
a  meeting  house,  and  at  a  subsequent  meeting,  in 
March,  1839,  Naperville  was  selected  as  the  place  for 
its  location.  Deacon  Clark,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  and 
Henry  Goodrich,  were  appointed  the  first  trustees. 
In  October,  1840,  Rev.  O.  Lyman  became  pastor.  He 
was  employed  for  six  months,  or  until  an  opportunity 
oifered  to  procure  a  permanent  minister.  The  Rev. 
J.  H.  Prentiss,  of  Fulton,  received  a  unanimous  call 
in  November,  and  was  installed  as  pastor  on  the  12th 
of  July,  1842.  Three  hundred  dollars  were  pledged 
for  his  support,  payable  half  in  money  and  half  in  pro- 
duce, by  the  society,  and  an  additional  sum  of  two 
hundred  dollars  was  obtained  from  the  Home  Mission- 
ary Society.  By  his  own  request,  his  connection  with 
the  society  was  dissolved,  Aug.  25,  1843.  Arrange- 
ments were  then  made  with  Rev.  E.  "W.  Champlain, 
to  preach  for  the  society  on  each  alternate  Sabbath 
during  the  remainder  of  the  year,  commencing  on  the 
first  Sabbath  in  October.  Mr.  Champlain  continued 
as  the  pastor  until  his  death,  February  8th,  1845.  At 


DU  .PAGE    COUNTY.  99 

a  meeting  of  the  society,  April  18th,  1844,  it  was 
resolved  "  that  we  deem  it  expedient  to  take  immediate 
measures  to  build  a  house  of  worship."  At  a  subse- 
quent meeting,  Deacon  Isaac  Clark,  George  Blackmail, 
Deacon  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  J.  Strong,  and  Eli  North- 
am,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  select  a  site.  That 
committee  selected  a  site  gratuitously  ofteted  by  Capt. 
Morris  Sleight.  The  choice  was  concurred  in  by  the 
society,  and  the  present  editice  was  erected  upon  it  in 
1847. 

By  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Champlain  the  whole 
society  was  thrown  into  mourning.  Although  he  had 
labored  among  them  for  only  a  brief  period,  yet  he 
had  become  endeared  to  his  people  by  the  strongest 
ties  of  affectionate  regard.  tEe  is  the  only  minister  of 
any  denomination  who  has  died  in  this  place,  or  whose 
sepulcher  is  with  us.  After  his  death  the  people  were 
destitute  of  a  settled  minister  for  several  months, 
but  the  pulpit  was  regularly  supplied  by  Rev.  O. 
Lyman.  A  call  was  extended  to  Rev.  Hope  Brown,  in 
August,  1845,  which  was  accepted.  It  was  provided 
that  he  should  preach  on  alternate  Sabbaths,  and 
receive  a  compensation  proportionate  to  the  amount  of 
service  rendered.  Mr.  Brown  was  connected  with  the 
Home  Missionary  Society,  and  for  several  years  after 
his  settlement  here,  received  contributions  toward  his 
support  from  that  society.  He  was  installed  on  the 
llth  of  November,  1845,  and  continued  with  this 
people  until  October,  1856,  when  he  was  dismissed,  at 
his  own  request. 

Of  Mr.  Brown  it  may  be  said  that  few  men  are  bet- 
ter calculated  for  the  Christian  ministry.  He  preached 


100  HISTORY    OK 


the  truth  every  day  by  a  consistent  Christian  example, 
as  well  as  from  the  pulpit  on  the  Sabbath.  In  Octo- 
ber, 1856,  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  E.  Barber,  was 
invited  to  the  desk.  The  congregation  has  considera- 
bly increased  during  the  past  year,  and  the  society 
has  made  new  accessions  to  its  numbers.  The  church 
was  never  in*a  more  enterprising  and  prosperous  state 
than  at  present.  The  Sabbath  school  connected  with 
this  church  has  sixty  pupils.  The  whole  number  of 
members,  since  its  organization,  is  177 ;  the  number 
now  belonging  to  the  church  is  62. 

From  the  history  of  the  past  may  we  not  learn  the 
importance  of  faithfully  sustaining  the  institutions  and 
ordinances  of  the  Gospel  ?  All  our  natural,  social, 
and  civil  advantages,  will  avail  us  little  without  its 
influence.  As  a  clmrch,and  as  a  society,  is  it  not  our 
duty  to  lend  a  strong  hand  for  its  support,  when 

"  The  pulpit,  in  the  sober  use 
Of  its  legitimate,  peculiar  powers, 
Must  stand  acknowledged,  while  the  world  shall  last, 
The  most  important  and  effectual  guard, 
Support,  and  ornament  of  virtue's  cause." 

The  worldly  wisdom  of  that  man  is  to  be  admired, 
who,  though  not  a  professing  Christian,  refused  to  pur- 
chase a  farm  in  a  town  in  a  neighboring  state,  because 
they  had  no  regular  preaching  there.  "  For,"  said  he, 
though  property  is  cheap  there  now,  it  will  always  be 
cheap ;  it  will  diminish  in  value  without  the  restrain- 
ing and  elevating  influences  of  the  Gospel." 

Much  credit  is  due  to  those  early  pioneers  for  the 
ready  zeal  which  they  have  manifested  in  organizing 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  101 

and  sustaining  the  churches  in  our  midst.  Many  of  them 
are  still  among  us,  but  are  not  to  tarry  with  us  long; 
and  when  they  shall  depart,  may  the  cause  for  which 
they  have  labored  and  sacrificed  so  much  be  committed 
to  hands  equally  zealous  and  faithful  to  the  sacred 
trust ;  for  it  is  a  fact,  well  attested,  that  nothing  will 
make  a  people  so  poor  as  to  try  to  live  without  the 
preaching  of  the  truth. 

The  Baptist  church  in  Naperville  was  organized 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Rev.  Morgan 
Edwards,  in  1843.  At  the.  time  of  its  organization, 
there  were  nine  members.  Immediate  steps  were 
taken  to  erect  a  house  of  worship.  A  building  was 
commenced  on  the  foundation  of  the  present  Congre- 
gational church,  but  a  difficulty  arose  between  the 
owner  of  the  lots  (who  had  not  yet  conveyed  them  to 
the  society)  and  one  of  its  members.  In  consequence 
of  this  the  owner  refused  to  give  title  to  the  society, 
and  forbade  the  removal  of  the  partly  constructed 
building,  threatening  personal  violence  to  any  one 
who  should  attempt  it.  A  committee  waited  upon 
him  and  endeavored  to  obtain  his  promised  deed  of 
the  lots,  but  it  was  refused.  Finding  all  their  over- 
tures in  vain,  a  large  number  of  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  the  place  met  by  agreement,  and  unawed 
either  by  threats  of  violence  or  the  terrors  of  the  law, 
forcibly  took  down  and  removed  the  edifice  to  its 
present  site,  which  was  donated  to  the  society  by  Lewis 
Ellsworth,  Esq.  In  1844,  the  building  was  so  far 
advanced  that  it  was  occupied  by  the  Congregational 
and  Baptist  societies,  each  on  alternate  Sabbaths. 
Rev.  Riley  B.  Ashley  became  pastor  of  this  church  in 


102  HISTORY     O  F 


January,  1844,  and  continued  to  supply  the  pulpit 
until  January,  1846,  during  which  time  the  church 
increased  to  thirty-six  in  numbers.  From  July,  1846, 
to  July,  1848,  Rev.  Allen  Gross  was  pastor,  and  the 
church  increased  to  fifty-six.  He  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  Silas  Tucker,  in  October,  1848.  Mr.  Tucker 
continued  as  pastor  until  October,  1855,  when  the 
number  of  members  was  ninety-five.  The  Rev.  Silas 
Kenny  supplied  the  desk  for  eight  months  during  1856 
and  1857.  The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  E.  P.  Barker. 
In  1847  the  church  was  enlarged  and  improved.  Its 
present  dimensions  are  52  feet  in  length  by  36  in  width. 
At  the  time  it  was  enlarged,  a  belfry  and  steeple  were 
built  upon  it,  from  which  sounded  the  first  church  bell 
in  the  county.  During  the  past  year  mucli  has  been 
done  by  this  society  to  beautify  the  church  building 
and  grounds.  The  Sabbath  school  connected  with  this 
church  numbers  about  fifty  scholars.  The  doctrines 
of  modern  spiritualism  have  been  embraced  by  some 
of  the  leading  members  of  this  society.  "Whether 
this  has  contributed  to  the  growth  or  decay  of  true 
piety  in  the  church,  we  are  not  to  determine. 

The  German  Evangelical  Association  has  a  large 
society  in  this  place.  This  society  was  formed  in  1837, 
by  a  few  members  from  "Warren  county,  Pa.  J.  C. 
Gros,  M.  Weis,  Adam  Knopff,  George  ^troubler,  John 
Rahm,  Martin  Asher  and  Adam  Schwigert  were 
among  the  first  members.  Meetings  were  held  in 
different  parts  of  the  town  for  several  years,  until  the 
church  was  erected  at  Naperville,  in  1842.  The  lot 
on  which  the  present  church  stands,  was  given  to  the 
society  by  Capt.  Kaper.  Since  1840,  the  society  has 


UU    PAGE    COUNTY. 


103 


sustained  regular  preaching,  and  the  church  has  in- 
creased rapidly  in  numbers.  There  are  now  upward 
of  two  hundred  belonging  to  the  society.  Connected 
with  this  church  there  is  a  Sabbath  school  of  nearly 
200  scholars.  It  has  a  library  of  300  volumes.  The 
present  church  building  is  much  too  small  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  society,  and  the  erection  of  a 
tine  brick  edifice  is  contemplated  during  the  present 
year.  'No  other  church  in  the  county  has  met  with  so 
great  a  degree  of  prosperity.  "We  give  the  names  of 
the  pastors,  from  its  organization : 


1837 

1838- 

1839- 

1840- 

1841- 

1842- 

1843- 

1844- 

1845- 

1846- 

1847- 

1848- 

1849- 

1850- 

1851- 

1852  - 

1853- 

1854- 

1855- 

1856- 

1857- 


—  Rev 


Jacob  Boas, 

Martin  Hawert, 

Christian  Einsel, 

J.  Lutz, 

Adam  Strooh,  C.  Lintner, 

F.  Wahl,  G.  A.  Blank, 
C.  Kopp, 

C.  Lintner, 

G.  A.  Blank, 

C.  Kopp,  S.  Dickower, 

C.  Augenstin,  G.  Meszmer, 

C.  Holl,  H.  Weilty,  J.  Raggerts, 

S.  A.  Tobias,  C.  A.  Schnackn, 

B.  Apley,  M.  Hawert, 

J.  Riegal,  G.  Franzcn, 

"        J.  Trombaner, 
G.  A.  Blank, 
J.  P.  Kramer, 

J.  Gibeis, 
W.  Straczburger, 

"  H.  Hcnitzn. 


The  Methodist  society  was  formed  in  1841,  through 
the  instrumentality  of  J.  Granger,  A.  Keith,  Mr.  Un- 
derwood, E.  Rich,  and  II.  Daniels.  A  church  was 


104  HISTOEY     0-F 


built  in  1849.  Tlie  society  lias  been  regularly  supplied 
with  pastors  since  1841.  The  Sabbath  school  con- 
nected with  this  church  has  about  100  scholars,  and 
its  library  contains  250  volumes.  There  are  now 
between  thirty  and  forty  members  belonging  to  the 
society. 

NAMES    OF   PASTOES: 

1841  —  Rev.  Caleb  Lamb,  1850  — Rev.   M.P.Hannah, 

1842  —     "     John  Xason,  1851  —     "     John  Beggs, 
1844—     "     O.Walker,  1852—     "     J.  C.  Stoughton, 
1«46  —     "     Elisha  Springer,  1853  —     "     Mr.  Vance, 
1848—     "     Nathan  Jewett,  1854—     "     0.  Huse, 

1856  — Rev.  B.  Close. 

The  Catholics  have  a  large  society  here.  Their 
church  was  organized  in  1846,  and  a  house  of  worship 
erected  during  the  same  year.  The  society  was  formed 
under  the  labors  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Theroler,  and  the 
first  members  were  Peter  Shultz,  Xavier  Eggerman, 
D.  Bapst,  S.  Butter  and  G.  Ott.  In  1852  the -church 
building  was  enlarged,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
rapidly  increasing  society,  which  now  numbers  232. 
The  names  of  the  priests  who  have  officiated  since 
1848,  are  Rev.  Mr.  Yung,  Rev.  Mr.  Foelker,  who  died 
here  in  1850,  Rev.  Mr.  Zucher,  Rev.  John  Kramer, 
Rev.  Mr.  Etafer,  who  died  here  in  1855,  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Keiser,  who,  having  been  suspended  for  misdemeanor, 
left  the  community  very  abruptly  sometime  in  Au- 
gust, 1857. 

The  physicians  at  Naperville  are  H.  C.  Daniels,  J. 
Jassoy,  "W.  B.  Stewart,  R.  K.  Potter,  Dr.  Overholser 
and  Dr.  Ferris. 

The  practicing  attorneys  are  H.  F.  Yallette  and  H. 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  105 

H.  Cody,  of  the  firm  of  Valletta  &  Cody ;  W.  Blaii- 
chard  and  M.  Hobson,  of  the  firm  of  Blanchard  & 
Hobson.  J.  F.  Wight,  for  many  years  the  only 
attorney  in  the  place,  has  now  retired  from  practice. 

Early  attention  was  given  by  the  settlers  to  the 
subject  of  education.  A  school  house  Avas  the  result 
of  the  first  public  enterprise.  In  the  fall  of  1831,  a 
log  house  was  erected  on  land  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Samuel  Boliman,  and  a  school  taught  there  during  the 
following  winter  by  Mr.  Leister  Peet.  The  building 
was  by  no  means  remarkable  for  architectural  beauty, 
but  being  fourteen  feet  square,  it  aiforded  accommo- 
dations to  the  children  of  this  sparsely  settled  district 
for  two  or  three  years.  Boards  were  fastened  to  the 
sides  of  the  room  for  desks,  and  slab  benches  were 
provided  for  seats.  Mr.  Peet  was  succeeded  by  Mrs. 
Hines  and  Mr.  Hiram  Standish,  who  in  succession 
swayed  the  scepter  of  that  first  temple  of  incipient 
liberty,  and  taught  the  young  idea  how  to  shoot. 
Some  of  our  most  prominent  citizens  remember  well 
the  rude-a-mental  lessons  which  they  received  in  the 
old  log  shool  house,  and  the  introduction  of  Parley's 
Magazine,  from  which  they  were  instructed  in  almost 
every  department  of  science,  although  the  time-hon- 
ored edifice  has  long  since  gone  to  decay.  A  new 
frame  building  for  school  purposes  was  erected  near 
where  the  Congregational  church  now  stands,  in  1835. 
It  was  used  as  a  church,  town  house,  and 'two  or  three 
terms  of  the  circuit  court  were  held  in  it  before  the 
court  house  was  built.  This  school  house  was  sold  by 
the  district,  and  for  several  years  previous  to  the 
passage  of  our  present  school  law,  the  district  was 
5* 


106  HISTORY    OF 


destitute  of  a  school  building,  and  the  public  schools 
of  JSTaperville  were  of  little  benefit  to  the  community. 
They  were  usually  held  for  only  a  small  portion  of  the 
year,  at  places  the  most  inconvenient  and  uncomfort- 
able. But  a  new  impulse  has  been  given  to  public 
sentiment  on  the  subject  of  education.  There  is  now 
a  fine  stone  building  on  the  west  side,  belonging  to 
that  district,  and  a  commodious  brick  building  in 
process  of  erection  on  the  east  side,  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  Lisle  district. 

The  Naperville  Academy  was  incorporated  in  1851. 
Mr.  N.  F.  Atkins  was  the  first  preceptor,  and  performed 
the  duties  of  principal  for  about  one  year.  After  his 
removal,  the  trustees  appointed  Mr.  C.  W.  Richmond, 
then  principal  of  the  academy  at  Great  Barrington, 
Mass.,  to  fill  the  vacancy.  In  this  academy,  in 
addition  to  the  common  branches  of  an  English  edu- 
cation, instruction  is  afforded  in  the  languages  and 
natural  sciences,  including  music,  drawing  and  paint- 
ing. This  institution  has  sent  out  many  competent 
teachers  for  our  public  schools.  Upward  of  600 
different  scholars  have  been  members  of  the  school 
during  the  past  three  years.  The  average  attendance 
has  been  about  100.  The  following  are  the  names  of 
assistants  in  the  school :  Howard  Kennedy,  A.  M. ; 
Geo.  Hudson,  J.  H.  Edson,  Mrs.  C.  "W.  Richmond, 
Mrs.  H.  L.  Snyder,  Miss  M.  B.  Dewey,  Miss  C.  E. 
Grossman,  Prof.  C.  N.  Y.  Vasque  and  Eugene  Burnell. 
The  academy  building  is  pleasantly  situated  in  the 
west  part  of  the  village,  is  three  stories  high,  and 
constructed  of  durable  and  handsome  stone,  found  in 
the  vicinity,  at  a  cost  of  about  nix  thousand  dollars. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  109 

The  institution  is  provided  with  chemical,  philosophi- 
cal, geographical  and  historical  charts,  and  has  a 
library  connected  with  it  of  about  600  volumes.  Few 
seminaries  offer  better  facilities  to  students  who  are 
pursuing  either  the  English  course  or  preparing  for 
the  higher  course  of  collegiate  studies. 

There  are  twelve  school  districts  in  the  town,  all  of 
which  are  provided  with  good  school  houses,  in  which 
schools  are  taught  from  six  to  ten  months  during  the 
year.  The  summer  term  is  usually  taught  by  females, 
and  the  winter  by  males. 

There  is  a  private  school  taught  in  the  family  of 

Mr.  Lewis  Ellsworth,  by  Miss  S.  B.  Skinner.      The 

number  of  pupils  is  limited  to  about  twelve.     Young 

ladies  are  here  instructed  in  the  English  and  modern 

Janguages,  and  also  in  music,  drawing  and  painting. 

Our  educational  facilities,  as  a  town,  can  not  well 
be  surpassed.  They  are  sufficiently  ample,  and  none 
need  grow  up  in  ignorance  for  want  of  proper  advan- 
tages to  obtain  an  education  ;  yet  there  are  many, 
even  at  this  day,  who  refuse  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
opportunities  offered.  This  is  especially  the  case  in 
the  village,  but  it  is  hoped  that  the  new  buildings  which 
have  been  recently  erected  will  draw  into  the  schools 
a  large  class  of  the  foreign  population,  who  would 
otherwise  go  uneducated.  Next  in  importance  to  the 
church,  our  schools  should  be  nourished  with  peculiar 
care.  The  school  fund  of  the  town  is  now ,$1035  27. 
For  building  and  repairing  school  houses,  the  amount 
raised  by  tax  and  expended  in  1853,  was  $120 ;  in 
1854,  $209  ;  in  1855,  $294 ;  in  1856,  $2376  ;  in  1857, 
$1326.  The  whole  number  of  pupils  in  1856  was  861. 


110  II  IS  TO  BY    OF 


The  school  section  was  sold  in  1842,  at  $1  25  per  acre. 
The  present  trustees  are  H.  Bristol,'  F.  Myer  and  H. 
Vaughn.  Treasurer,  Chas.  Hunt. 

In  what  now  constitutes  the  west  part  of  this  town, 
and  prior  to  the  organization,  when  known  as  Big 
Woods  precinct,  the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace 
and  constable  were  held  by  the  following  named  per- 
sons :  justices  of  the  peace,  W.  J.  Strong,  Abel  Keys, 
John  Stolp,  David  Meeker,  Charles  Hunt,  S.  S.  Pax- 
ton;  constables,  Allan  "Williams,  C.  H.  Vaughn,  J. 
II.  Paxton,  A.  F.  Stolp,  O.  C.  Stolp. 

List  of  town  officers  of  the  town  of  Naperville  for 
the  different  years  since  the  adoption  of  the  township 
organization  law : 

SUPERVISOR  : 

1850— Russel  Whipple.  1854— David  Hess. 

1851—  "  1855  —  R.  N.  Murray. 

1 852  —  Joseph  Naper.  1856  —  Charles  Hunt. 

1853 — Hiram  Bristol.  1857  —  N.  Crampton. 


TOWN  CLERK: 

1850  — C.  F.  Tarbox.  1854  — Charles  Hunt. 

1851—  Charles  Hunt.  1855—  " 

1852—  "  1856—  " 
1855—           "                                     1857  — 


*  ASSESSOR  t 

1850 — Enos  Coleman.  1854 — A.  T.  Thatcher. 

1851—  "  1865  — A.  W.  Colt. 

1852  — Hiram  Bristol.  1856  — David  Brown. 

1853 — Enos  Coleman.  1857  —  George  Bristol. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  Ill 

COLLECTOR  : 

1850  —  Willard  Scott.  1854— Sidney  Powers. 

1851  —  John  Stolp.  1855  —  A.  T.  Thatcher. 

1852  —  Thaddeus  Scott.  1856  — R.  N.  Davis. 

1853  — Sidney  Powers.  1857* 


OVERSEER  OF  THE  POOR  '. 

1850  —  John  Warne.  1854  —  Hiram  Branch. 

1851  —  H.  C.  Daniels.  1855  —  M.  Dines. 

1852  —  S.  L.  Jackson.  1856  —  H.  C.  Daniels. 
1853—           "  1857—  " 


COMMISSIONERS  OF  HIGHWAYS: 

1 850  —  Samuel  Rickcrt,  1 854  —  S.  L.  Jackson, 

H.  C.  Daniels,  Jacob  Saylor, 

Enos  Coleman.  U.  D.  Stanley. 

1851  —  Langdon  Miller,  1855  —  S.  M.  Babbitt, 

W.  J.  Strong,  H.  Bristol, 

Samuel  Rickert.  D.  B.  Rogers. 

1852  — W.  J.  Strong,  1856  —C.  H.  P.  Lyman, 

David  Brown,  Hiram  Bristol, 

A.  S.-Sabin.  Jacob  Saylor. 

1853  —  W.  J.  Strong,  1857  — Hiram  Bristol, 

A.  T.  Thatcher,  Solomon  Givler, 

David  Brown.  John  Stolp. 


JUSTICES  OF  THE   PEACE  : 

1850  —  Charles  Hunt,  1 853  —  Harrison  Loring. 

Willard  T.  Jones.  1854 —  " 

1851  —  H.  Loring.  f  J.  J.  Riddler. 

1852  — Charles  Hunt,  1855  —Charles  Hunt4 

II.  Loring.  1 856  —  Eli  Rich. 


*  Collector  not  elected,  U  being  a  tie  vote, 
t  Elected  in  place  of  Willard  T.  Jones,  resigned.       $  Vice  Loring,  resigned. 


112  HISTORY     OF 


CONSTABLES : 

1850  — Sidney  Powers,    .  1852  — S.  M.  Cole. 

D.C.Butler.  1853—  " 

1851  —  Sidney  Powers,  1854  —  George  Stroubler,  jr. 

S.  M.  Cole.  1855  — David  Salisbury. 

1856  — Fred.  S.  Crane. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  113 


A  HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  LISLE. 


THIS  is  the  oldest  town  in  the  county,  having  been 
first  settled  by  Bailey  Hobson,  in  the  fall  of  1830. 
Among  the  early  settlers  were  J.  C.  Hatch,  Isaac 
Clark,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  John  'Thompson,  John 
Sargent,  Lewis  Ellsworth,  Thomas  Jellies,  Martin 
Asher,  J.,  C.,  II.,  and  L.  Stanley,  E.  Bush,  Mr.  "Wil- 
lard,  Henry  Puifer,  A.  B.  Chatiield,  John  Naper,  and 
R.  M.  Sweet.  The  increase  of  population  has  been 
in  about  the  same  ratio  as  that  of  the  other  towns  in 
the  county.  It  contains  now  about  1500  inhabitants, 
of  which  there  is  a  fair  sprinkling  of  Germans.  The 
town  may  be  regarded  as  a  very  intelligent  and 
moral,  and  relatively  considered,  religious  population. 
Many  of  the  first  settlers  came  from  New  England, 
and  brought  with  them  the  principles,  practices,  mor- 
als and  opinions  for  which  the  people  of  that  section 
have  so  long  been  widely  and  favorably  known. 

This  remark  perhaps  applies  more  truthfully  to  the 
inhabitants  of  that  division  of  the  town  called  "  The 
East  Branch"  than  to  any  other  portion  of  it.  The  first 
settlers  here,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  were  of  the 
class  referred  to.  They  came  possessed  of  a  spirit  of 
genuine  Christian  philanthropy,  which  prompted  them 
to  labor  zealously  for  the  good  of  their  fellow  men. 
They  were  impelled  by  no  narrow,  bigoted  views  of 
Christian  brotherhood  and  duty,  but  recognized  that 
great  moral  principle  which  first  found-  utterance  011 


HI8TOKY    OF 


Plymouth  Rock,  of  "freedom  to  worship  God." 
Among  the  pioneers  of  this  class  who  are  now  living, 
Deacon  Isaac  Clark,  and  Deacon  Pomeroy  Goodrich, 
may  be  mentioned  as  having  labored  here  for  more 
than  twenty  years,  with  unfailing  Christian  ardor,  for 
the  upbuilding  of  the  church  of  Christ.  They  were 
chiefly  instrumental  in  effecting  the  first  religious 
organization  in  the  county,  which  was  as  early  as 
1833.  The  society  then  formed  rapidly  increased,  by 
members  from  this  and  the  adjoining  towns,  and  as 
the  country  became  more  thickly  settled  it  was 
divided,  and  separate  organizations  formed.  A  notice 
of  the  original  society  will  be  found  in  the  history  of 
the  town  of  Naperville. 

In  consequence  of  its  being  peopled  by  the  class 
referred  to,  correct  moral  principles  have  been  infused 
into  the  East  Branch  community,  and  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  find  a  better  state  of  society,  or  a  more  culti- 
vated, intelligent,  moral,  and  industrious  class  of 
citizens,  than  reside  in  this  section  of  the  town  of 
Lisle. 

The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  devoted  to  agriculture. 
The  fanners  generally  have  large  and  highly  cultivated 
farms,  and  are  in  independent  circumstances.  Land 
is  held  at  from  twenty-five  to  fifty  dollars  per  acre, 
the  price  varying  according  to  locality  and  nature  of 
soil.  Among  the  best  farms  upon  the  east  branch  are 
those  of  James  C.  Hatch,  John  Thompson,  D.  II. 
Naramore,  Pomeroy  Goodrich,  Daniel  M.  Green, 
William  13.  Green,  A.  S.  Barnard,  A.  Morse,  and 
Charles  II.  Goodrich.  » 

The  pioneers  of  this  town  had  many  privations  to 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  115 

undergo,  but  these  Avere  endured  and  at  last  conquered 
by  manly  courage  and  enterprise. 

A  spirit  of  cordial  sociability,  friendly  sympathy 
and  intercourse  prevailed  among  the  early  settlers, 
which,  it  is  feared  has  lost  something  of  its  charms 
since  the  country  has  become  more  densely  populated. 

"We  have  frequently  heard  it  remarked  by  our  pio- 
neer mothers,  that  the  pleasantest  period  of  their  lives 
was  when  they  lived  in  the  old  log  house,  of  one 
apartment,  which  served  as  kitchen,  parlor;  pantry, 
bedroom,  wood  house  and  cellar.  Sociability  was 
then  untrammeled  by  forms  and  ceremonies,  and  the 
question  of  "  What  shall  we  eat  and  wherewithal  shall 
we  be  clothed,"  was  thought  to  have  a  more  spiritual 
application  than  in  modern  times. 

Mrs.  Scott  made  a  "party"  at  an  early  day,  to 
which  all  her  neighboring  friends  were  invited.  For 
supper  she  placed  before  her  guests  a  prodigious  loaf 
of  corn  bread,  the  material  for  which  had  been  pre- 
pared by  grinding  the  corn  between,  two  stones.  Al- 
though the  repast  was  pronounced  by  all  most  delicious, 
yet  it  was  entirely  eclipsed  by  that  of  Mrs.  Hobson, 
who  had  her  "party"  soon  after,  and  entertained  her 
guests,  not  with  corn  bread  alone,  but  corn  bread  and 
molasses  graced  her  festive  board. 

The  following  details  will  serve  to  show  something 
of  the  trials  endured  by  our  early  settlers,  and  the 
heroic  fortitude  with  which  they  braved  discourage- 
ments : 

About  the  middle  of  May,  1830,  Baley  Hobson, 
weary  of  the  toil  of  clearing  the  encumbering  forests 
from  the  rugged  banks  of  the  Ohio  river,  and  animated 


116  HISTOKY    OF 


by  the  hope  of  finding  a  home  in  the  wilderness  of  the 
northwest,  more  congenial  to  the  spirit  and  genius  of 
agriculture,  set  out  from  the  sparsely  settled  county  of 
Orange  for  the  more  sparsely  settled  section  of  north- 
ern Illinois.  His  resolutions  were  those  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  west.  Without  arms  amounting  to  more  than 
a  jack-knife,  for  defense,  he. mounted  his  horse,  and 
destitute  of  chart  or  compass,  groped  his  way,  as  best 
he  could,  through  the  dense  forests  and  deep  ravines, 
and  forded  the  bridgeless  waters  that  lay  in  his  course. 
Day  after  day  was  consumed  in  the  solitary  windings 
from  hut  to  hut,  through  a  region  which  then  presented 
but  slight  indications,  of  that  civilization  which  has 
since  struck  its  roots  deep  into  the  bosom  of  those 
forests.  Rain  and  sunshine  alternately  poured  through 
the  darkening  foliage  that  overarched  his  pathway. 
Many  miles  were  traveled  where  not  a  sound  broke 
the  silence  of  the  dim  woods,  save  the  tread  of  his  own 
steed  as  it  bore  him  onward.  The  dismal  surroundings 
of  a  forest  path  accompanied  him  until  state  lines  were 
crossed,  and  the  bright  opening  prairies  were  gained 
in  the  state  of  Illinois.  Emerging  from  the  heavy 
timber  country  of  Indiana,  into  the  prairie  wilderness, 
was  an  agreeable  respite  from  the  dull  monotony  of 
the  scenery  through  which  he  had  passed. 

Here  was  a  spot  fit  for  a  moment's  pause,  to  view 
with  far-strained  vision  those  undulating  plains,  in 
contemplating  which 

The  heart  swells,  while  the  dilated  sight 
Takes  in  the  encircling  vastness. 

Moving  onward  to  the  north  with  the  hope  of  suc- 
cess brightening  before  him,  he  gained  the  south  bank 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  117 

of  the  Illinois  river,  which  he  crossed  in  a  ferry-boat 
at  a  place  then  called  Ft.  Clarke,  near  the  present  site 
of  Peru.  At  this  place  he  fell  in  -company  with  four 
strangers,  who  had  been  spending  some  time  in  ex- 
ploring the  country  further  west,  which  they  found, 
comparatively  speaking,  a  blank  wilderness,  peopled 
only  by  savages.  Discouraged  at  the  idea  of  settling 
in  a  country  so  wild  and  so  remote  from  civilized  man, 
they  had  abandoned  their  journey  and  were  returning, 
with  not  the  most  favorable  impressions  of  the  great 
west.  They  urged  Mr.  Hobson  to  abandon  the  idea 
also,  not  only  as  impracticable,  but  as  a  wild  and 
hazardous  undertaking.  He  however  left  them,  and 
pushed  onward,  soon  reaching  "Weed's  Grove,  since 
known  as  Holderman's  grove,  where  he  found  a  set 
tlement  consisting  of  five  little  huts,  occupied  by  as 
many  families.  Here,  for  the  first  time  in  his  journey, 
he  made  a  halt,  and  explored  the  Du  Page  river  as 
far  as  Walker's  grove,  near  Plaiufield.  He  after- 
wards explored  Fox  river  as  far  as  Long  grove,  and 
finally  made  a  claim  six  miles  from  Holderman's,  and 
three  miles  from  the  main  village  of  the  Pottawattomie 
Indians,  on  Fox  river.  In  order  to  secure  his  claim 
while  moving  his  family  out  to  it,  he  cut  logs  for  the 
erection  of  what  in  later  times  has  been  termed  the 
"  squatter's  hut."  Having  done  this,  he  mounted  his 
horse  and  turned  homeward.  To  save  distance,  he 
took  a  new  route,  and  struck  out  upon  the  unknown 
prairies,  where  the  footprints  of  neither  man  nor  beast 
were  to  be  seen,  without  a  solitary  thing  to  guide  him, 
save  the  instinctive  allurements  of  his  own  fireside, 
which  was  more  than  four  hundred  miles  distant. 


118  HISTORY    OF 


About  noon  of  the  same  day  he  re-crossed  the  Illinois 
river,  at  the  lower  rapids,  and  pursued  his  way  until 
night  shut  in  upon  him,  when  he  pitched  his  camp, 
consisting  of  a  horse  blanket  and  overcoat,  on  the 
banks  of  a  small  stream  that  flowed  along  the  border 
of  a  grove.  During  the  night  there  was  a  heavy  fall 
of  rain,  which  put  out  his  fire,  and  for  the  remainder 
of  the  night  he  was  obliged  to  hold  himself  in  a  de- 
fensive attitude  against  the  ravenous  mosquitoes. 
The  sun  rose  bright  and  clear  next  morning,  and  he 
pressed  onward.  Late  in  the  afternoon  he  overtook  a 
company  of  Kickapoo  Indians,  who  were  returning 
from  a  hunting  excursion,  and  accompanied  them  to 
their  village,  where  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  a 
white  man,  a  trader,  with  whom  he  passed  the  night. 
Leaving  the  wigwam  town  early  next  morning,  he 
laid  his  course  over  the  trackless  prairie,  for  the  waters 
of  the  Saugainon,  which  were  reached  just  as  the  sun 
went  down.  Here,  for  the  first  time  in  three  day's 
travel,  he  struck  the  trail  of  his  former  course.  A 
cabin  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  stream,  occupied  by  a 
family  whose  nearest  neighbors  were  twelve  miles 
distant.  He  passed  the  night  with  them,  and  after 
breakfast  the  next  morning,  re-crossed  the  river  which 
he  had  left  some  five  weeks  previous.  Retracing  his 
former  path  over  the  wide  prairies  of  Illinois  and 
through  the  dense  forests  of  Indiana,  he  reached  his 
home  about  the  first  of  July.  On  the  first  day  of 
September,  in  the  same  year,  he  started  with  his 
family,  accompanied  by  L.  Stewart,  for  his  new  claim 
amid  the  wilds  of  the  northwest.  They  had  proceeded 
scarcely  half  a  mile  when  the  wagon  was  upset,  and 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  119 

the  entire  "bag  and  baggage"  strewn  promiscuously 
upon  the  ground.  This  was  by  no  means  a  welcome 
omen  of  the  invisible  future,  and  created  unpleasant 
forebodings  of  what  might  lie  before  them  in  their 
perilous  journey.  Four  hours  detention  was  the  result 
of. this  first  ill  fortune.  After  the  wagon  was  turned 
right  side  up,  and  their  effects  gathered  together,  they 
moved  on  again.  They  soon  lost  sight  of  things  which 
had  grown  familiar  by  time,  and  the  forest  through 
which  they  passed  opened  upon  them  new  scenes. 
The  camp  fire  was  kindled  whenever  night  overtook 
them,  and  a  small  canvas  tent  was  their  only  protection 
from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and  all  that 
screened  the  starlight  and  moonbeams  from  their 
pillows. 

The  evening  of  the  third  day  found  them  at  the 
Drift  Wood  fork  of  the  "White  river.  This  was  now 
to  be  crossed.  It  was  a  difficult  stream,  without  bridge 
or  ferry,  and  having  a  bed  of  quicksand.  As  'there 
was  but  one  plan  to  choose,  ("Ilobson's  choice,"  of 
course),  they  resolved  to  hazard  the  experiment  of 
fording.  So,  increasing  the  load  of  the  already  bur- 
dened team  with  their  own  weight,  and  giving  the 
oxen  a  few  smart  blows  with  the  braid  of  buckskin, 
they  dashed  into  the  stream,  and  with  great  effort 
reached  the  opposite  bank.  The  men  were  obliged  to 
re-cross  the  stream  for  the  herd  of  cattle  and  horses 
that  were  left  behind,  and  the  journey  was  resumed, 
until  the  shadows  of  night  compelled  them  to  pitch 
their  tents.  Thus  they  journeyed,  day  after  day, 
leaving  no  visible  evidence  of  their  passage,  save  here 
and  there  the  ashes  of  their  camp  fires,  fording  all  the 


120  HISTORY    OF 


streams  that  lay  in  their  course,  until  they  came  to 
the  Wabash,  which  they  crossed  in  a  ferry,  two  miles 
above  Terre  Haute. 

Coming  upon  the  prairies,  the  land  was  marshy  for 
a  considerable  distance,  and  their  progress  was  slow 
and  difficult ;  but  nothing  of  moment  occurred  until 
they  arrived  at  the  Black  Swamp,  which  was  about 
half  a  mile  in  width.  Here  they  were  obliged  to  take 
everything  from  the  wagon  and  carry  to  the  opposite 
side  on  foot.  Mrs.  Hobson  rode  across  on  horseback, 
with  her  babe,  and  the  two  little  boys  waded  through 
the  mire,  at  the  imminent  hazard  of  being  entirely 
swallowed  up.  This  passed,  they  journeyed  on,  en- 
countering similar  obstacles,  often  getting  mired,  and 
often  being  obliged  to  unload  a  part  of  their  goods  in 
order  to  proceed.  Leaving  the  Ft.  Clarke  road,  and 
having  no  path  to  guide  them,  they  now  passed  through 
an  uninhabited  region  for  the  distance  of  one  hundred 
miles, 'finding  but  one  habitation  during  six  days,  and 
being  able  to  obtain  neither  wood  nor  water  to  cook 
their  meals  more  than  twice  during  the  whole  time. 
Arriving  at  the  Illinois  river,  they  crossed  that  stream 
at  the  lower  rapids,  and  after  traveling  a  few  miles 
further,  fell  in  company  with  Mr.  Clark,  whose  father 
resided  at  Walker's  grove.  Preparations  were  being 
made  for  a  night  encampment,  but 'Clark  insisted  that 
they  should  go  as  far  as  Holderman's  grove,  where 
he  intended  to  remain  that  night.  Having  with  him 
three  yoke  of  oxen,  he  attached  two  of  them  to  Mr. 
Hobson's  wagon,  and  thus  assisted,  they  went  on, 
arriving  at  Holderman's  grove  at  about  midnight, 
having  been  on  the  road  twenty-one  days.  Here  they 


DTI    PAGE    COUNTY.  121 

remained  three  weeks,  during  which  time  Mr.  Hobson 
sowed  some  fall  wheat,  cut  some  hay  for  his  cattle, 
and  began  the  erection  of  a  cabin  on  his  new  claim. 

The  family  were  mdved  to  the  claim,  and  lived  in  a 
tent  until  the  cabin  was  so  far  completed  as  to  admit 
of  their  occupying  it.  Their  provisions  were  likely  to 
run  short,  and  Mr.  Hobson  set  out  on  horseback  to  pro- 
cure some.  After  spending  two  days  in  fruitless  search 
of  something  to  prevent  starvation,  he  returned  home. 
In  a  few  days,  he  started  again  on  a  longer  journey, 
crossing  the  Fox  and  Vermilion  rivers,  the  latter  of 
which  he  forded,  where  the  water  covered  the  back  of 
his  horse.  Still  onward  he  went,  and  after  crossing 
the  Illinois,  and  arriving  at  the  Ox  Bow  prairie,  he 
found  he  could  purchase  no  flour,  but  pork  was  offered 
him,  which  he  engaged,  appointed  the  time  when  he 
would  come  for  it,  and  returned. 

Not  feeling  entirely  satisfied  with  his  location,  he 
resolved  to  examine  the  country  still  further,  and 
accordingly  set  out  in  the  direction  of  •  Fox  river. 
Knowing  that  a  solitary  Frenchman  was  living  in  a 
grove  near  that  stream,  he  thought  to  reach  his  hut, 
if  possible,  before  night-fall ;  but  the  darkness  came 
on  before  he  was  able  to  find  it,  and  tying  his  horse  to 
a  tree,  he  laid  down  upon  the  ground,  and,  with 
nothing  to  shield  him  from  the  cold  of  a  November 
night,  save  his  overcoat  and  horse  blanket,  slept  till 
morning.  On  waking,  he  found,  to  his  surprise,  that 
he  had  encamped  in  full  sight  of  the  Frenchman's 
dwelling,  but  was  separated  from  it  by  a  swamp.  It 
being  very  cold,  he  hastened  to  the  cabin,  but  found 
the  door  closed  and  fastened.  He  however  effected 
6 


122  HISTORY    OF 


an  entrance  by  descending  the  chimney,  encountering 
in  his  descent  some  smoke,  considerable  soot,  a  blazing 
fire,  and  last,  but  not  by  any  means  least,  a  huge  bull- 
dog, who  bristled  up  savagely  at  the  singular  phenom- 
enon. He  made  peace  with  the  dog,  and  sat  down  to 
warm  himself  by  the  fire.  The  proprietor  of  the  cabin 
soon  returned,  and  was  not  a  little  surprised,  on  open- 
ing the  door,  at  finding  a  strange  guest  within. 
After  breakfasting,  Mr.  Hobson  made  his  way  across 
the  country  to  the  Du  PAGE  river,  examining  the  lands 
and  localities  as  far  as  the  site  of  his  present  family 
residence.  This  place  satisfied  him  in  every  respect, 
and  he  at  once  determined  to  abandon  the  claim  he 
had  already  made,  and  secure  this  as  his  future  home. 
He  made  a  few  marks  by  which  to  identify  it,  and 
returned  to  his  family,  having  been  absent  five  days. 
In  a  few  days,  Hobson  and  Stewart  both  set  out  for 
the  new  claim,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  timber  and 
building  a  cabin  upon  it.  This  was  in  December. 
They  arrived  at  the  DTI  PAGE,  and  found  it  frozen 
over.  Unable  to  force  their  team  into  the  crusted 
stream,  tfrey  waded  through  it  themselves,  breaking 
a  path  in  the  ice,  which  the  oxen  were  made  to 
follow.  Having  succeeded  in  crossing,  they  pitched 
their  tent,  built  a  fire,  and  made  preparations  for 
passing  the  night.  During  the  night  it  commenced 
snowing,  and  continued  throughout  the  next  day. 
They  attempted  to  work,  but  were  unable  to  accom- 
plish anything  in  consequence  of  the  severity  of  the 
weather,  which  continued  to  increase  until  they  were 
obliged  to  abandon  their  undertaking.  They  drove 
down  the  river,  a  distance  of  three  miles,  to  the  dwell- 


DTJ    PAGE    COUNTY.  123 

ing  of  Mr.  Scott,  who  had  built  a  cabin  and  moved 
into  it  a  few  days  before.  Here  they  passed  the 
night,  and  the  following  day  and  night.  On  the  third 
day  the  wind  ceased,  the  severity  of  the  weather 
somewhat  abated,  though  still  very  cold,  and  they 
started  toward  home.  Their  course  lay  across  a  prai- 
rie for  thirty  miles,  on  which  there  was  no  appear- 
ance of  a  road,  but  they  accomplished  the  distance, 
reaching  home  before  midnight,  nearly  exhausted  by 
fatigue,  hunger  and  cold.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
days  the  weather  changed ;  some  rain  fell  which 
melted  the  snow,  and  by  a  succession  of  snow,  rain 
and  frost  which  followed,  the  earth  was  covered 
with  a  crust  of  ice,  which  made  traveling  almost 
impossible. 

It  was  now  near  Christmas,  the  time  at  which  Mr. 
Ilobson  had  agreed  to  go  for  his  pork. 

He  therefore  left  his  family  and  stock  in  care  of  Mr. 
Stewart,  and  set  out  for  Ox  Bow  prairie  with  the 
intention  of  returning  in  about  ten  days.  The  weather 
was  now  extremely  cold,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
second  day  it  commenced  snowing.  The  storm  came 
so  fast  and  thick  that  the  track  was  soon  covered,  and 
he  had  nothing  to  direct  his  course,  while  the  atmos- 
phere was  so  filled  with  the  falling  flakes  that  he 
could  see  only  a  few  feet  before  him.  Toward  night 
a  horseman  passed  him,  but  said  nothing,  and  was 
very  soon  out  of  sight,  leaving  no  traces  of  his  course, 
as  the  snow  filled  the  horse's  track  almost  as  soon 
as  made.  Night  closed  in  upon  him,  with  no  cessa- 
tion of  the  driving  storm.  Unable  to  see  his  way 
even  a  rod  before  him,  the  chance  of  reaching  a 


124:  HISTORY    OF 


habitation,  or  place  of  shelter  seemed  hopeless,  and 
he  was  about  to  resign  himself  to  his  fate,  when  he 
discovered  a  light  at  a  little  distance  which  appeared 
to  be  coming  toward  him.  On  its  nearer  approach, 
to  his  inexpressible  joy  and  gratitude,  he  discovered 
two  or  three  men,  who  had  come  to  his  assistance, 
from  the  nearest  settlement.  They  had  been  made 
acquainted  with  his  situation  by  the  horseman  who 
passed  him  in  the  afternoon.  They  assisted  him  in 
reaching  the  settlement,  where  he  stayed  till  next 
morning,  when,  the  storm  having  considerably  abated, 
he  started  on  his  way. 

He  followed  a  small  stream,  though  it  was  not  his 
direct  course,  in  order  to  be  nearer  the  timber  and 
nearer  habitations.  Before  night  came  on,  guided 
by  the  barking  of  dogs,  he  was  enabled  to  reach  a 
dwelling.  Finding  it  unoccupied,  he  took  temporary 
possession.  A  few  embers  were  still  burning  on  the 
hearth,  and  taking  some  rails  from  the  fence  he  re- 
duced them  to  fuel  and  built  a  fire.  He  found  feed 
for  his  oxen,  and  a  supply  of  provisions  for  himself, 
of  which  he  partook  without  much  ceremony,  and  in 
peaceful  and  quiet  possession  passed  the  night. 

Pursuing  his  journey  next  morning,  he  shortly  ar- 
rived at  another  dwelling,  where  he  found  the  owner 
of  the  cabin  in  which  he  had  stayed  the  night  before, 
and  told  him  of  the  liberty  he  had  taken.  Being 
assured  that  all  he  had  done  at  the  cabin  was  right, 
he  pressed  on  and  reached  his  destination  on  the 
evening  of  the  fourth  day.  The  pork  was  procured, 
and  he  started  homeward  on  the  following  morning, 
his  team  consisting  of  two  yoke  of  heavy  cattle,  and 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  J25 

his  load,  of  about  one  thousand  pounds,  including  a 
prairie  plow. 

The  snow  had  fallen  to  such  a  depth  that  he  found 
it  impossible  to  proceed,  and  was  obliged  to  employ 
a  man  with  an  additional  team  to  assist  him  on.  With 
the  three  yoke  of  oxen  attached  to  the  wagon  they 
started,  going  before  with  wooden  paddles  to  shovel 
the'  snow  from  the  path.  About  two  hours  before 
sunset,  they  found  that  in  the  course  of  the  whole  day, 
they  had  advanced  just  one  mile !  There  was  little 
use  in  trying  to  go  on,  so  they  turned  their  team  and 
took  the  back  track  for  a"  quarter  of  a  mile  to  a  dwell- 
ing. Here  they  remained  for  a  few  days,  endeavoring 
to  fit  the  wagon  to  runners,  but  in  this  they  were  un- 
successful. Mr.  Hobson  now  resolved  on  trying  to 
reach  home  011  foot,  and  accordingly  set  out.  He 
had  to  cross  a  twelve  mile  prairie  before  coming  to 
a  settlement.  This  he  aimed  to  do  in  one  day,  but 
the  sun  had  passed  the  meridian  before  he  had  made 
a  third  of  the  distance.  Knowing  it  was  vain  to 
attempt  to  gain  the  settlement,  he  retraced  his  steps 
to  the  dwelling  he  had  left  kuthe  morning,  where 
he  arrived,  with  life  and  strength  nearly  exhausted. 
Here  he  remained  a  few  days,  hardly  knowing  what 
course  to  pursue.  Having  already  been  absent  many 
days  longer  than  he  had  intended,  he  felt  great  anxiety 
for  his  family,  whom  he  had  left  but  scantily  provided 
with  provisions,  and  at  length  determined  upon  mak- 
ing another  effort  to  reach  home.  Leaving  his  team 
and  load,  with  orders,  that  if  it  became  necessary,  the 
meat  should  be  cut  up  and  salted,  he  set  out  in  a 
new  direction,  pursuing  his  way  through  the  groves 


126  HISTORY    OF 


towards  the  Illinois  river,  and  finding  shelter  at  night 
in  the  cabins  which  at  long  intervals  were  scattered 
through  the  forests.  At  length,  he  arrived  at  the 
Illinois,  which  he  found  frozen  and  covered  with  snpw. 
To  facilitate  progress  he  now  traveled  upon  the  ice 
for  thirty  miles,  in  imminent  peril  of  his  life.  The 
ice,  in  many  places,  was  so  thin  that  it  gave  way  be- 
neath his  feet.  At  the  end  of  this  distance  the  river 
was  open  in  consequence  of  its  junction  with  a  large 
spring,  and  he  was  now  obliged  to  travel  again 
through  the  deep  and  drifted  snow.  His  progress 
was  slow  and  fatiguing,  but  impelled  by  anxiety  for 
the  loved  ones  at  home,  he  journeyed  on  with  unflag- 
ing  zeal,  and  at  last  reached  home  on  the  nineteenth 
day  of  his  absence,  to  the  almost  overwhelming  joy 
and  surprise  of  his  destitute  family,  from  whom  the 
last,  lingering  hope  of  ever  beholding  him  again  had 
faded  out.  Imagine  his  feelings  as  his  little  ones,  half 
famished,  came  around  him  anxiously  inquiring  about 
his  wagon,  and  about  the  provisions  which  they  ex- 
pected he  would  bring  to  them.  Until  now  he  had 
borne  up  against  a  tide  of  adverse  circumstances  with 
a  determined  and  even  a  cheerful  spirit,  but  the  situa- 
tion of  his  family,  with  no  prospect  of  relief,  was  a 
matter  not  to  be  contemplated  without  the  most  dis- 
tressing apprehensions.  '  Nearly  a  week  passed,  and 
the  weather  became  so  much  moderated  that  the 
snow  began  to  melt,  and  it  was  feared  that  a  thaw- 
was  about  to  commence,  in  which  case  their  situation 
would  be  rendered  still  more  hopeless.  Corn  was 
their  only  article  of  food,  and  upon  this  alone  they 
had  already  subsisted  for  more  than  two  months; 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  127 

this  they  prepared  by  hulling  and  boiling.  Some- 
thing must  be  done,  for  starvation  seemed  looking 
them  in  the  face.  But  one  plan  suggested  itself  to 
Mr.  Hobson,  and  that  was  a  hard  one  to  execute.  It 
was  to  leave  his  family,  and  accompanied  by  Stewart, 
make  one  more  effort  to  get  his  provisions  home  be- 
fore the  breaking  up  of  the  ice.  His  situation  was 
indeed  a  trying  one.  It  was  with  great  reluctance 
that  he  resolved  to  leave  his  family  alone  and  unpro- 
tected in  the  dead  of  winter,  and  in  a  region  inhabited 
only  by  Indians,  whose  proximity  produced  no  more 
agreeable  impression  than  fear,  to  say  the  least.  But 
Mrs.  Hobson,  brushing  the  tears  from  her  face,  and 
summoning  all  the  courage  and  resolution  she  could 
command,  entreated  him  to  go,  and  leave  her  to  do 
the  best  she  could.  After  preparing  fuel  sufficient  to 
last  until  their  return  they  set  out,  taking  with  them  a 
yoke  of  cattle  which  they  drove  in  advance,  for  the 
purpose  of  breaking  a  road  through  the  snow.  Thir- 
teen head  of  cattle  and  three  horses  were  left  in  Mrs. 
Hobson's  care.  On  the  second  day  after  the  departure 
of  Messrs.  Hobson  and  Stewart,  it  commenced  snow- 
ing and  continued  without  interruption  for  two  days 
and  nights,  covering  the  earth  upon  a  level,  three  feet 
deep.  On  the  third  day,  just  at  sunrise,  the  wind  be- 
gan to  blow  with  fury  from  the  west,  and  continued 
like  a  hurricane,  without  cessation,  for  three  days, 
sweeping  the  snow  from  the  ground  and  piling  it  in 
drifts  twenty,  thirty,  and  even  forty  feet  high,  while 
the  atmosphere  was  so  thick  with  the  driving  snow,  as 
almost  to  turn  daylight  into  darkness.  On  the  first 
morning  of  the  wind  storm,  Mrs.  Hobson,  taking  a 


128  HISTORY    OF 


pail,  went  to  a  spring  a  few  yards  from  the  house  for 
some  water,  but  before  reaching  the  house  she  was 
compelled  to  throw  the  water  upon  the  ground  and 
make  all  possible  haste  back.  The  children  opened 
the  door  for  her,  which,  being  in  the  west  side  of  the 
house,  it  required  all  their  strength  to  close  again.  It 
was  not  opened  again  until  after  the  storm  had  sub- 
sided. The  snow,  which  was  constantly  driving  into 
the  house,  supplied  them  with  water ;  but  who  shall 
describe  the  feelings  of  that  mother,  as  alone  with  her 
little  ones,  the  days  dragged  wearily  along,  while  her 
mind  was  filled  with  the  most  fearful  aprehensions. 
Husband  or  brother  she  should  in  all  probability  see 
no  more.  Her  children  might  perish  in  her  sight, 
while  a  like  fate  awaited  herself?  It  was,  indeed,  a 
severe  trial  of  endurance,  and  needed  all  the  fortitude 
of  her  soul  to  sustain  such  agonizing  reflections  while 
the  raging  storm  swept  around  her  solitary  dwelling. 
After  the  wind  had  ceased,  Mrs.  Hobson  went  out  to 
look  after  the  cattle  and  horses,  but  could  discover 
nothing  of  them,  and  concluded  they  had  been  covered 
in  the  snow-drifts  and  perished.  The  day  passed 
without  any  of  them  making  .their  appearance.  The 
next  morning  they  all  came  around  from  the  east  side 
of  the  grove,  whither  they  had  fled  and  remained 
during  the  storm.  The  fuel  which  had  been  prepared 
and  put  in  the  house  was  now  exhausted,  while  that 
which  had  been  left  outside  was  embedded  in  a  deep 
snow  drift.  The  only  alternative  was  to  dig  this  wood 
out  of  the  snow  with  a  pick-ax,  and  Mrs.  Hobson 
accordingly  set  about  it,  working  and  resting  alter- 
nately, as  her  strength  would  permit.  "Weak  and 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  129 

faint  from  hunger,  and  with  hands-  frozen  and  blis- 
tered, she  worked  on  day  after  day,  unable  to  get  out 
more  wood  than  would  barely  serve  from  one  day  to 
another.  A  cow,  that  was  accustomed  to  being  fed  at 
the  door  came  into  the  house  one  day  and  seemed  to 
reel,  as  if  about  to  fall.  Mrs.  Hobson  pushed  her  out- 
side of  the  door,  when  she  immediately  fell  dead. 
Fearing  that  the  wolves,  which  were  very  plenty  and 
hungry,  would  come  to  the  door  to  feed  upon  the 
carcass,  she  covered  it  deep  in  the  snow. 

On  the  fourteenth  day  after  his  departure,  Hobson 
returned  with  some  provisions,  leaving  Stewart  at 
Holdernian's  grove  with  a  part  of  the  oxen  that  were 
unable  to  finish  the  trip.  On  his  arrival,  he  found 
the  wood  which  they  had  prepared,  all  consumed,  and 
Mrs.  Hobson  tearing  down  a  log  stable  and  chopping 
it  up  for  fuel.  During  that  fourteen  weary  days,  Mrs. 
Hobson  had  not  seen  a  human  being  besides  her  child- 
ren. Though  it  was  known  at  Holdernian's  grove 
that  they  were  alone,  yet  no  one  dared  venture  to  see 
what  had  become  of  them.  It  was  thought  by  all 
there  that  the  family  would  inevitably  perish.  In  the 
course  of  eight  days  Stewart  arrived  with  the  remain- 
der of  the  oxen.  They  presented  a  deplorable  spec- 
tacle indeed,  being  worn  with  fatigue,  their  flesh  sore 
and  bleeding,  and  the  hair  all  cut  from  their  legs  by 
wading  through  the  hard  crusted  snow.  The  drifting 
of  the  snow  had  been  altogether  favorable  to  the  return 
of  Hobson  and  Stewart.  Having  arrived  at  their  des- 
tination before  the  wind  storm,  they  remained  until 
they  could  make  themselves  some  sledges.  On  the  way 
home,  they  could  travel  sometimes  the  whole  day  witli- 
*6 


130  HISTORY    OT? 


out  the  crust  giving'way,  and  some  days  their  teams 
would  break  through  every  little  while,  when  they 
were  obliged  to  dig  them  out  again. 

At  home  again,  it  was  now  time  for  new  arrange- 
ments to  be  made,  as  there  had  been  nothing  done  as 
yet,  upon  the  new  claim.  Stewart,  accordingly,  set 
out  for  the  new  location  with  the  intention  of  working 
there,  but  soon  after  his  arrival  the  snow  went  off  with 
a  heavy  rain.  After  the  flood,  occasioned  by  the  melt- 
ing snow  and  breaking  up  of  the  ice  had  nearly  sub- 
sided, the  Indians  came  —  a  hundred  or  more  —  into 
the  grove  near  the  house.,  and  prepared  for  making 
sugar.  Hobson  now  sent  his  family  to  Holderman's 
grove,  where  he  had  obtained  permission  for  them  to 
stay  a  few  days,  while  he  with  his  household  goods 
started  for  the  Du  PAGE,  and  again  aimed  to  take  up 
his  night's  lodging  at  the  Frenchman's  cabin  But 
the  traveling  was  bad,  and  his  progress  slow.  Late 
in  the  afternoon  he  got  "  stalled  "  in  a  slough.  Tak- 
ing off  his  boots  and  stockings,  in  order  to  keep  them 
dry,  he  waded  through  on  foot,  and  with  great  effort 
succeeded  in  getting  his  team  through,  his  clothes  the 
while  were  wet  and  freezing. 

It  being  by  this  time  quite  dark,  and  fearing  to  pro- 
ceed further,  lest  he  should  again  be  "  stalled,"  there 
was  no  other  chance  than  to  spend  the  night  upon  the 
open  prairie.  And  having  some  bedding  in  the  wagon, 
he  made  out  to  pass  the  night  without  freezing.  In 
the  morning  he  reached  the  Frenchman's  cabin,  where 
he  breakfasted.  The  next  night  found  him  at  the 
Spring  Brook,  just  west  of  the  Du  PAGE  river,  but  it 
wag  so  dark  that  he  did  not  venture  to  cross  it,  and 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  131 

accordingly  camped  out  again.  Here  the  grass  was 
long,  and  making  his  bed  upon  the  ground,  he  passed 
the  night  very  comfortably,  and  the  next  morning- 
reached  his  destination.  Mr.  Scott  advised  him  to 
bring  his  family  to  his  place,  and  let  them  remain 
until  he  could  build  his  cabin.  He  accordingly  did 
so,  and  in  a  few  days  their  own  cabin  was  ready  for 
their  reception. 

In  April  Mr.  Hobson  went  again  to  Ox  Bow  Prairie 
for  his  wagon,  taking  with  him  two  yoke  of  cattle, 
and  bringing  back  some  seed  corn,  and  potatoes.  His 
cattle  were  so  poor  and  weak  that  he  was  often  obliged 
to  carry  the  corn  and  potatoes  on  his  back,  the  team 
being  hardly  able  to  draw  the  empty  wagon.  The 
Spring  and  Summer  were  cold,  wet  and  consequently 
unfavorable  to  crops.  But  little  was  raised  during 
that  year. 

Other  settlers,  whose  names  have  been  given, 
soon  located  in  different  parts  of  the  town.  The 
Kaper  settlement  extended  into  this  town,  and  the 
pioneer  reminiscences  contains  an  account  of  the 
settlers  here,  up  to  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war. 

This  town  .embraces  an  area  of  thirty-six  square 
miles,  and  is  bounded  by  Milton  on  the  north,  "by 
Will  county  on  the  south,  by  Downer's  grove  on  the 
east,  and  by  Naperville  on  the  west.  The  surface 
consists  chiefly  of  rolling  prairie,  interspersed  with 
groves  of  fine  growing  timber.  This  town  was  for- 
merly called  Du  PAGE,  a  name  derived  from  the 
river,  both  forks  of  which  run  through  it,  but  there 
being  a  town  in  Will  county  of  the  same  name,  it  was 


132  HISTORY    OF 


organized  in  1850,  under  the  name  of  Lisle,  in  honor 
of  the  late  S.  Lisle  Smith,  of  Chicago. 

That  part  of  the  village  of  JNaperville  which  lies  in 
this  town  includes  the  county  buildings  and  four 
churches.  The  grist  mill  at  Hobson's  was  among 
the  first  established  in  this  part  of  the  county.  Brick 
making  is  carried  on  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  the 
bricks -manufactured  are  of  good  quality.  The  clay 
requires  coarse  sand  to  be  worked  with  it,  to  give  it 
compactness.  At  the  establishment  of  Mr.  E.  M. 
Carpenter  275,000  were  made  last  year.  The  other 
manufactures  are  of  minor  importance,  it  being  strictly 
an  agricultural  town,  in  which  branch  of  industry  it 
competes  successfully  with  its  neighbors. 

There  are  in  this  town  nine  school  districts,  in  all  of 
which  schools  are  taught  throughout  the  school  year. 
Teachers  of  the  best  ability  are  usually  employed,  and 
rewarded  by  a  fair  compensation.  The  almost  uni- 
versal .Custom  of  rotation  in  the  employment  of  in- 
structors for  our  schools  prevails  in  this  town,  the 
summer  term  being  taught  by  females,  and  the  win- 
ter term  by  males.  The  schools  are  attended  by 
310  scholars.  The  fund  derived  from  the  sale  of 
the  school  section  was  $800.  It  now  amounts  to 
$1,011.66.  The  amount  paid  to  teachers  last  year 
was  $820,  and  the  amount  expended  for  repairing 
and  building  was  $1,830. 

Several  stone  quarries  have  been  opened  in  this 
town,  from  which  stone  is  obtained  for  lime  burn- 
ing and  for  building  purposes.  The  Naperville  and 
Oswego  plank  road  was  laid  through  the  central  part 
of  this  town.  The  projectors  of  this  road  thought 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  133 

to  facilitate  the  communication  between  Oswego,  ISTap- 
erville  and  Chicago,  and  thereby  retain  the  travel 
which  would  otherwise  be  drawn  to  the  railroad 
which  was  being  built  at  the  same  time. 

The  road  was  completed  from  Chicago  to  ]S"aper- 
ville,  but  no  farther.  The  project  was  a  failure; 
the  stock  was  worthless,  for  people  would  travel  by 
railroad.  The  material  of  which  the  road  was  con- 
structed is  now  being  torn  up  and  converted  to 
other  uses. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  officers  for  the  town  o 
Lisle,  who  have  been  elected  since  its  organization 
in  1850: 

SUPERVISORS. 

1850  — Amasa  Morse.  .     1854  — H.  H.  Cody. 

1851  —  Jeduthen  Hatch.  1855  —  J.  0.  Hatch, 

1852  —  John  Stanley.  1856  —  A.  Morse. 

1853  —  Lewis  Ellsworth.  1857  —  John  Collins. 


TOWN  CLERKS. 

1850  — J.  C.  Hatch.  1854  — H.  F.  Valletta. 

1851  — George  Roush.  1855—         " 

1852  — H.  F.  Vallette.  1856  — R.  W.  Hunt. 

1853  —  S.  M.  Skinner.  1857  —  A.  S.  Barnard. 


OVERSEERS  OF   POOR. 

1850  — John  Olney.  1854— F.  A.  Smith. 

1851—  "  1855— John  Thompson. 

1852—  "  1856— J.  A.  Richards. 
1853  — W.  B.  Stewart,  1857  —John  Rahm. 


134  HISTORY    OF 


.   COLLECTORS. 

1850  —  C.  K.  W.  Howard.  1854  — F.  A.  Smith. 

1851  —  F.  A.  Smith.  1855— B.  F.  Hosier. 

1852—  "  1856  — J.  H.  Hobson. 

1853—  "  1857  — C.  M.  Goodrich. 


COMMISSIONERS   OF   HIGHWAYS. 

1850 — Joseph  Blodgett,  1854 — John  Sargent, 

John  Rahm,  John  Stanley, 

Ethan  Griswold.  T.  Hilderbrand. 

1851 — John  Rahm,  1855 — John  Sargent, 

J.  Blodgett,  F.  A.  Smith, 

Henry  Ingallg.  Henry  Ingalls. 

1 8  52  —  Solomon  Mertz,  1 856 — R.  S.  Palmer, 

E.  Griswold,  E.  Page, 

Joseph  Blodgett.  D.  C.  Stanley. 

1853— A.  S.  Barnard,  •  1857— S.  Mertz, 

R.  M.  Hunt,  R.  S.  Palmer, 

R.  Puffer.  J.  A.  Ballou. 


CONSTABLES. 

1 850  —  F.  A.  Smith.  1 854  —  John  Graves. 

1851—  ««  1855— B.  F.  Hosier. 

1852  —  John  Graves.  1856  — John  H.  Hobson. 

1853—  "  1857—  " 


ASSESSORS. 

1850  —  Jeduthen  Hatch.  1854  — A.  B.  Chatfield. 

1851  —  A.  B.  Chatfield.  1855—         " 

1852 —         "  1856  —  C.  H.  Goodrich. 

1853  —  D.  M.  Green.  1857  —  Elijah  Root. 


JUSTICES   OF   THE   PEACE. 

1850— A.  B.  Chatfield,  1854— A.  B.  Chatfield, 

George  Roush.  John  J.  Kimball. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  135 


HISTORY   OF    THE   TOWN  OF    BLOOMING- 
DALE. 


Silas  Meacham,  Lyman  Meacham,  and  Harvey 
Meacham,  were  the  first  settlers  of  this  town.  They 
came  here  together,  and  clearing  away  the  snow  from 
a  spot  selected  for  the  purpose,  pitched  their  tents,  on. 
the  eleventh  day  of  March,  1833.  The  Indians,  who 
were  numerous  at  that  time,  were  their  only  neighbors 
during  the  first  year.  There  were  no  settlers  nearer 
than  King's  grove,  on  the  east  branch  of  the  Du  PAGE, 
none  on  the  Chicago  and  Galena  road,  and  none  on 
Fox  river  above  Green's  mill.  Their  Indian  neighbors 
were  generally  peaceable  and  quiet,  but  filled  with  all 
manner  of  superstitious  and  savage  peculiarities.  Soon 
after  the  settlement  commenced,  a  dog  was  discovered 
in  the  grove  hanging  from  a  limb  to  which  it  was  fast- 
ened, with  a  piece  of  tobacco  tied  to  each  foot.  The 
settlers  afterward  learned  from  Lawton,  an  Indian 
trader,  that  the  Indians  had  had  some  bad  luck,  and 
the  dog  was  offered  as  a  sacrifice. 

The  grove  was  known  among  the  Indians  as  Penne- 

ack  grove,  and  received  its  name  from  a  root  found  in 

•  it,  resembling  the  potato.     It  grew  in  such  abundance, 

that  the  Indians  came  for  it,  and  carried  it  away  to 

their  camps,  in  sacks,  on  their  ponies. 

The  Indians  were  generally  trusty,  and  on  the  whole 
proved  themselves  good  neighbors.  The  settlers  placed 
great  confidence  in  them.  They  frequently  came  to 


136  HISTORY    OF 


the  settlement  to  borrow,  and  were  always  prompt  in 
returning,  thereby  offering  an  example  which  many 
"white  folks"  think  it  too  much  trouble  to  follow  in 
all  cases.  Harvey  Meacham  once  loaned  his  valuable 
rifle  to  one  of  them  for  several  days,  on  the  promise 
that  he  would  return  it  at  a  certain  time  ;  the  Indian, 
faithful  .to  his  word,  brought  it  back  on  the  appointed 
day. 

The  wife  of  Lyman  Meacham  died  in  the  fall  of 

1833.  Her  coffin  was  made  of  boards  taken  from  a 
wagon  box  which  was .  brought  from  the  east.     The 
next  death  in  the  settlement  was  that  of  a  young  me- 
chanic, who  came  into  the  town  with  Major  Skinner, 
in  1834.     He  was  buried  in  a  coffin  made  of  plank, 
split  from  a  log  in  the  grove. 

A  small  addition  to  the   settlement  was  made  in 

1834.  Among  the  settlers  of  that  year  were  H.  Wood- 
worth,   N.  Stevens,  D.   Bangs,  Elias   Maynard,  and 
Major  Skinner.     The  Meacham  brothers,  during  the 
lirst  year,  built  a  log  house  for  each  of  their  families, 
broke  and  planted  forty  acres  of  prairie,  and  fenced  it 
in,  to  secure  it  from  their  stock  which  grazed  upon  the 
open  fields.     At  the  end  of  the  year  1834,  the  settle- 
ment had  increased  to  twelve  or  fifteen  families.    Many 
trials,  incident  to  the  settlers  of  a  new  country,  were 
experienced  by  these  first  pioneers.     "We  are  informed 
by  one  of  them,  that  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  a 
man  to  take  his  plow  share  and  mould  board,  weighing 
some  sixty  pounds,  upon  his  back  and  trudge    away 
to  Chicago,  a  distance  of  twenty-four  miles,  to  get  it 
sharpened. 

The  precinct  of  Cook  county,  in  which  this  settle- 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  137 

ment  was  included,  extended  over  a  large  part,  if  not 
all  of  Cook  county,  west  of  the  OTlain  river. 

The  first  election  in  this  precinct  was  held  at  Elk 
grove,  eight  miles  north  east  of  Bloomiugdale.  Ly- 
man  Meacham  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace.  The 
first  path  master  went  as  far  south  as  Warrenville,  ten 
miles  distant,  to  warn  out  the  settlers  on  the  highway 
to  perform  their  road  labor.  The  claim  difficulty  to 
which  allusion  has  been  made,  occurred  in  this  town. 
It  is  thought  that  no  correct  history  of  the  horrid  trans- 
action has  ever  appeared.  The  statement  of  this  affair, 
given  in  the  life  of  George  W.  Green,  the  banker,  who 
committed  suicide  in  the  Chicago  jail,  is  very  erroneous. 
The  compilers  have  been  at  considerable  pains  to  ob- 
tain a  brief,  and  as  they  believe,  an  impartial  account 
of  the  transaction,  which  is  commonly  known  as 

THE   KENT   TKAGEDY. 

In  the  year  1835,  or  thereabouts,  Ebenezer  Peck 
bought  the  undivided  half  of  Dr.  Meacham's  claim. 
While  they  held  it  jointly,  they  leased  it  to  Milton 
Kent.  Before  the  lease  expired,  Dr.  Meacham  sold 
his  half  to  Mr.  Peck,  and  moved  to  the  O'Plain  river, 
previous  to  any  difficulty  with  Kent.  The  trouble 
respecting  the  claim  commenced  soon  after  Mr.  Peck 
became  the  sole  owner.  Mr.  Kent's  lease  expired  in 
the  spring  of  1837,  and  the  claim  was  sold  to  George 
W.  Green,  of  Chicago,  who  came  on  to  occupy  it,  but 
Mr.  Kent  would  not  allow  him  to  take  possession  ; 
whereupon,  a  suit  at  law  was  brought,  which  after  sev- 
eral years'  litigation,  resulted  in  giving  Green  a  title 
to  the  whole  property.  In  the  mean  time,  Mr.  Kent 


138  II  IS  TO  BY    OF 


had  built  a  house  and  barn  suited  to  the  business  of 
tavern  keeping,  near  the  east  end  of  the  claim,  and 
upon  a  piece  of  land  which  he  and  his  friends  said, 
Dr.  Meacham  gave  him  for  a  tavern  stand.  Near  the 
first  of  March  1840,  Mr.  Green  and  family,  accompa- 
nied bj  Daniel  M.  Green,  the  sheriff  of  Du  PAGE 
County,  came  on  to  the  ground  and  demanded  the 
possession  of  the  entire  premises,  tavern  stand  included. 
Mr.  Kent  was  very  unwilling  to  go,  but  notwithstand- 
ing his  reluctance,  he  was  forced  to  remove  his  house- 
hold effects  from  the  house  he  had  built,  and  quit  the 
premises  on  which  he  had  invested  all  he  had.  His 
furniture  was  removed  to  a  shanty  which  had  been 
hastily  constructed  of  boards  upon  the  claim,  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  house.  The  sheriff'  notified  him  to 
leave  the  claim  immediately,  but  at  the  old  man's 
earnest  request  that  he  .might  remain  over  the  Sabbath, 
it  being  then  Saturday  night,  it  was  provided  that  he 
could  do  so  upon  the  condition  that  he  would  depart 
early  on  Monday. 

Old  Mr.  Kent  was  a  man  of  iron  will,  and  deter- 
mined still  to  have  the  property,  andustake  everything 
on  the  effort,  preferring  even  death  itself,  to  being 
conquered.  After  preparing  a  quit  claim  deed,  the 
following  plan,  as  revealed  by  those  concerned  in  it, 
was  adopted. 

The  old  man,  accompanied  by  his  son,  son-in-law, 
a  friend,  who  afterwards  married  into  the  family,  and 
a  hired  man,  making  five  in  all,  were  to  go  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Green  late  on  Sunday  evening,  decoy 
him  to  the  door,  seize  him,  carry  him  off  and  force  him 
to  sign  the  deed.  When  the  time  arrived  they  went 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  139 

to  the  house.  Four  of  the  number  were  on  foot,  and 
took  their  station  at  the  side  of  the  door,  to  seize 
Green  when  he  came  out,  while  the  fourth,  who  was 
on  horseback,  rode  up  in  front  of  the  house  and  called 
loudly  for  Mr.  Green ;  but,  instead  of  going  to  the 
door,  Mr.  Green  answered  him  through  the  window  of 
the  room  in  which  he  was  sleeping.  The  horseman 
told  him  that  he  wished  to  stop  there  over  night,  to 
which  Mr.  Green  replied  that  the  house  was  no  longer 
a  tavern ;  that  he  could  obtain  lodging  a  little  further 
on.  He  had  scarcely  said  this  when  the  outside  door 
was  broken  in  with  a  loud  crash.*  In  an  instant  the 
four  men  who  had  been  stationed  at  the  door  appeared 
in  his  room.  He  had  prepared  himself  with  arms  for 
his  defense,  should  he  be  molested,  and  seizing  his 
rifle,  fired  in  the  direction  of  the  assaulters.  The  ball 
passed  through  the  collar  of  old  Mr.  Kent's  coat,  and 
escaped  through  the  window  frame.  He  then  snapped 
his  pistol,  the  muzzle  being  against  the  breast  of  one 
of  his  assailants,  but  the  collar  of  his  coat  caught  in 
the  lock  in  some  way,  and  it  missed  fire. 

The  room  was  very  dark,  and,  therefore,  Green  had 
the  better  chance  to  defend  himself.  In  entering  the 
room  a  table  of  dishes  was  overturned,  and  two  of  the 
number  sprang  upon  the  bed,  seizing  Mrs.  Green, 
whom  they  mistook  for  her  husband.  Finding  their 
mistake,  they  left  her  unharmed,  and  went  to  the  assist- 
ance of  their  comrades.  In  the  meantime,  Green  seized 
a  large  butcher  knife,  and  commenced  making  desperate 
thrusts  with  it  at  all  who  came  in  his  way.  A  son  of 
Mr.  Kent  succeeded,  at  length,  in  grasping  Green 
tightly  around  the  body,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give 


140  HISTORY    OF 


him  but  little  use  of  his  arms  ;  but  he  soon  regretted 
his  rashness,  for  it  was  not  long  before  he  felt  the 
sharp  point  of  the  knife  entering  his  back,  and  making 
an  awful  wound.  He  cried  murder,  implored  Green 
to  spare  his  life,  and  his  comrades  -to  come  to  his 
assistance. 

Old  Mr.  Kent  advanced,  and  was  about  to  lay  hold 
of  Green,  when  he  (Green)  drew  the  knife  from  the 
body  of  the  young  man,  and  struck  the  old  man  a 
mortal  blow  under  the  left  arm,  at  which  he  raised 
his  hands,  gave  a  dying  shriek,  left  the  room  unob- 
served, walked  a  few  paces  from  the  door,  and  fell  to 
the  ground  dead. 

Young  Kent  was  now  released  from  Green's  grasp, 
and,  notwithstanding  he  had  received,  as  he  supposed, 
a  mortal  wound,  he  still  determined  to  conquer,  and 
the  party  rallied,  with  all  their  strength,  to  make  one 
more  effort  to  secure  Green.  A  furious  onslaught 
ensued,  and  Green  was  at  last  overpowered,  although 
he  fought  desperately.  He  was  knocked  down,  and 
beaten  with  merciless  severity  upon  the  head  with  a 
horse  pistol,  and  afterward  taken,  in  a  senseless  con- 
dition, from  the  floor  and  carried,  without  clothing, 
save  his  shirt,  across  the  fields  to  the  shanty.  "When 
he  had  recovered  his  senses,  he  was  there  required  to 
sign  the  paper,  and  the  young  man  whom  he  had  so 
severely  wounded  with  the  knife  remarked  that  "  he 
must  do  it  d — n  quick,  too,  for  he  wanted  to  see  it 
done  before  he  died,  and  his  boots  were  then  over- 
flowing with  blood."  Expecting  that  his  life  would 
be  taken  in  any  event,  Green  signed  the  papers  in 
presence  of  the  daughters,  and  then  importuned  them 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  14:1 

to  let  him  die  at  once,  upon  which  he  was  taken  back 
across  the  field,  and  left,  in  an  almost  helpless  state, 
near  his  house,  which  he  succeeded  in  reaching  soon 
after. 

Mrs.  Green,  after  witnessing  the  brutal  treatment 
of  her  husband,  and  being  left  alone  in  the  house, 
suffered  the  most  intense  alarm,  supposing  he  would 
be  killed,  and  that  a  similar  fate  awaited  herself.  She 
stood  at  the  door  crying  murder,  in  a  voice  not  above 
a  whisper.  The  death  of  old  Mr.  Kent  was  not  known 
to  his  son  until  after  the  papers  were  signed. 

Consternation  filled  the  minds  of  the  settlers  at  such 
a  tragedy  transpiring  in  their  midst.  A  sight  never 
to  be  forgotten  was  the  lifeless  body  of  that  old  man, 
as  it  lay  there  upon  the  ground,  his  hair  white  like 
the  frost  of  winter  gathering  around  his  icy  temples, 
and  ruffled. by  the  passing  breeze,  as  it  moaned  among 
the.  branches  of  the  grove.  His  countenance  was 
fresh  as  though  life  yet  lingered  in  his  veins,  but  his 
limbs  were  stiff  and  cold  in  death. 

Green  delivered  himself  up  to  the  proper  authority, 
and  went  before  the  grand  jury  of  Du  PAGE  County, 
confessed  the  crime  he  had  committed,  and  was  dis- 
charged. Writs  were  issued  for  the  arrest  of  Lorenzo 
Kent  and  others,  concerned  in  the  tragic  affair,  Kent 
was  arrested,  and  while  too  ill,  as  was  supposed,  to  be 
removed,  fled  out  of  the  State.  The  family  were  scat- 
tered, and  have  never  been  united  since  in  that  hal- 
lowed relation.  Their  head  being  removed,  and  them- 
selves being  left  without  a  home,  they  have  been 
compelled  to  wander  from  the  scenes  of  their  early 
attachment,  at  the  mercy  of  an  uncharitable  world. 


142  HISTORY    OF 


Mr.  Green  remained  in  the  place  some  three  years, 
but  was  in  constant  fear  of  his  life.  He  never  left  his 
house  without  being  armed,  and  always  slept  with 
weapons  within  his  reach.  The  opinion  prevailed 
among  the  settlers  that  he  was  a  dangerous  person, 
and  few  tears  were  shed  when  he  sold  his  claim  and 
left  the  neighborhood.  His  subsequent  career  of 
crime,  which  terminated  in  self-destruction,  is  familiar 
to  all.  He  removed  to  Chicago,  where  he  "amassed 
considerable  wealth  in  the  banking  business.  In  1855 
he  was  convicted  of  the  crime  of  murder,  in  poisoning 
his  wife,  and  lodged  in  the  Chicago  jail.  Soon  after 
his  conviction,  and  while  confined  in  jail,  he  was  found 
dead  in  his  cell,  having  taken  his  own  life  rather  than 
undergo  the  execution  of  his  sentence.  Thus,  we 
have  endeavored  to  present  a  brief  and  impartial  state- 
ment of  the  Kent  affair,  about  which  so  much,  has 
been  said  and  written.  This,  as  we  have  already  in- 
timated, was  the  only  serious  claim  difficulty  in  this 
county ;  but  volumes  might  be  filled  with  the  most 
thrilling  tales  of  conflict  between  settlers,  respecting 
their  claims,  in  other  parts  of  the  west.  Were  govern- 
ment to  survey  its  lands  before  they  are  settled  upon, 
a  portion,  at  least,  of  the  difficulties  now  incident  to 
new  settlements  would  be  avoided. 

Bloomingdale  is  not  excelled  by  any  of  its  sister 
towns  in  healthfulness  of  climate,  fertility  of  soil, 
beauty  of  scenery,  variety  of  products,  nor  in  attention 
to  agriculture.  Meacham's  grove  is  in  this  town,  and 
embraces  about  1,200  acres  of  fine  timber.  The  trail 
made  by  Gen.  Scott's  army,  in  passing  from  Fort 
Dearborn  to  the  Mississippi,  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  143 

south  of  the  grove.  The  trail  was  visible  when  the 
first  settlers  came,  and  has  always  been  known  as  the 
army  trail  road.  The  source  of  the  east  branch  of  the 
Du  Page  river  is  from  low  land  about  half  a  mile 
south  of  the  grove.  The  west  branch  rises  in  a  slough, 
a  few  rods  in  width,  situated  near  the  north  east  corner 
of  the  town  of  Wayne.  The  town  is  well  watered  by 
springs  and  small  streams,  it  having  but  one  stream 
of  any  size.  -  A  branch  of  Salt  creek  runs  in  an 
easterly  direction  through  the  town,  uniting  with  the 
main  branch  at  Duncklee's  grove,  in  the  town  of 
Addison.  This  stream  furnishes  water  power  at  some 
seasons,  and  a  saw  mill  has  been  erected  upon  it. 

The  village  of  Bloomingdale  contains  about  thirty 
dwelling  houses,  one  hotel,  5  factories,  2  stores,  and 
three  churches.  The  Baptist  society  was  organized 
in  March,  1841,  through  the  instrumentality  of  Rev. 
Joel  Wheeler  and  Rev.  A.  W.  Button.  There  were 
at  first  seventeen  members,  among  whom  were  Noah 
Stevens,  Ephraim  Kettle,  Asa  Dudley,  F.  R.  Stevens, 
Orange  Kent,  J.  D.  Kinne,  Philo  Nobles,  Silas  Farr, 
and  William  Farr. 

For  several  years  the  society  was  without  a  settled 
minister,  during  which  time  preaching  was  sustained 
by  Rev.  Joel  Wheeler,  Rev.  A.  W.  Button,  Rev.  Mr. 
Smith,  Rev.  Mr.  Edwards,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Dickens. 
The  first  settled  minister  was  Rev.  P.  Taylor,  who 
became  pastor  of  the  church  in  1848,  and  continued 
until  1855.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  II.  Worrell, 
the  present  pastor,  in  1855. 

There  have  been  204  members  of  this  church  since 
its  organization.  Seventy-eight  have  been  dismissed, 


144  HISTORY    OP 


and  four  only  have  died  during  their  membership. 
The  Society  now  numbers  126  resident  members. 
There  is  a  Sabbath  school  of  40  scholars  connected 
with  this  church,  having  a  library  of  450  volumes. 
The  present  house  of  worship  was  built  in  1848. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  in  Au- 
gust, 1840,  by  Rev.  D.  Rockwell,  assisted  by  Rev.  F. 
Bascomb.  "W".  Dodge,  A.  Buck,  Elijah  Hough,  A. 
Hills,  E.  Thayer,  C.  H.  Meacham,  and  J.  P.  Yalding, 
were  among  the  first  members.  Rev.  D.  Rockwell 
was  ordained  in  1840,  and  continued  as  pastor  until 
1842.  The  following  are  the  names  of  pastors  since 
that  time : 

1842  — Rev.  L.Parker.  1850  — Rev.  N.  Shapley. 

1843—  "     H.  Colton.  1851—     "     L.Parker. 

1844—  "    B.W.Reynolds.  1854—    "    D.  Chapman.         [tor. 
1846 —    "    L.Parker.  1855 —     "    H.  Judd,  present  pas- 
There  have  been  203  members   in   all,  of  whom 

eleven  have  died  during  their  membership.  There 
are  now  93  resident  members.  The  Sabbath  school 
has  about  50  scholars,  and  a  library  of  300  volumes. 
The  church  of  this  Society  was  built  in  1851,  and 
dedicated  June  13th,  1852. 

The  Methodist  Society  of  this  town  is  in  a  prosper- 
ous condition,  being  at  present  supplied  with  preachers 
from  the  ISTaperville  circuit. 

There  are  nine  school  districts  in  this  town,  eight  of 
which  have  school  houses.  The  school  fund  derived 
from  sale  of  land  was  $1,028.  It  is  now  $1,425. 
There  were  325  scholars  in  attendance  during  the  past 
year.  Trustees,  Captain  E.  Kinne,  H.  Barnes,  H.  S. 
Hills.  Treasurer,  S.  P.  Sedgwick. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  145 

The  first  town  meeting  in  Bloomingdale  was  held 
at  the  school  house,  in  the  village,  on  Tuesday,  the 
2d  day  of  April,  1850.  We  give  below  the  names  of 
town  officers  since  the  adoption  of  the  township 
organization  law  : 

SUPERVISORS  : 

1850  —  Erasmas  0.  Hills.  1854  —  John  G.  Yearick, 

1851  —  Erasmas  0.  Hills.  1855  —  Daniel  F.  Deibert. 

1852  —  H.  B.  Hills.  1856  —  Horace  Bafnes. 

1853  — Cyrus  H.  Meacham.  1857  —  Cyrus  H.  Meacham. 


TOWN  CLERKS  : 

1850  — Myron  C.  Dudley.  1854  — H.  B.  Hills. 

1851  —Asa  W.  Spitzer.  1855  —  H.  B.  Hills. 

1852  —  M.  C.  Dudley.  1856  —  H.  B.  Hills. 

1853  —  M.  C.  Dudley.  1857  —  H.  B.  Hills. 


JUSTICES  OF   THE    PEACE  : 

1850  —  C .  H.  Meacham,  1854  —  S.  P.  Sedgwick, 

H.  Bronson  Hills.  James  Vint. 

1851  — Hiram  Goodwin: 


CONSTABLES  : 

1 850  —  Huet  0.  Hills,  1 853  —  James  Vint. 

L.  E.  Reed.  1854  — S.  0.  Pepper. 

1851  —  H.  0.  Hills.  1855  —  S.  0.  Pepper. 

1852  —  J.  G.  Yearick.  1856  —  Geo  F.  Deibert. 


COMMISSIONERS    OF   HIGHWAYS: 

1850  —  S.  H.  Dinsmore,  1852  —  Rowland  Rathbun, 

J.  H.  Kelsey,  James  Vint, 

James  Vint.  H.  Benjamin, 

1851 — D.  S.  Meacham,  1853  —  J.  Barnes, 

JkHathorn,  R.  Rathbun, 

S.  C.  McDowcl.  J.  X.  Nind. 

7 


146 


HISTORY    OF 


COMMISSIONERS   OF   HIGHWAYS CONTINUED 

1854  — L.  E.  Landon,  1856  — Asa  Clark, 


J.  Barnes, 
J.  N.  Nind. 
1855  — D.  F.  Deibert, 
Milton  Smith, 
B.  C.  Pendleton. 


Berlin  Godfrey, 
J.  A.  Kelsey. 
1857—  J.  V.  McGraw, 
Alfred  Rich, 
Pierce  Driscol. 


ASSESSORS  : 
1850  —  Jonathan  Barnes.  1854  —  Asa  Dudley. 


1851— H.  H.  Coe. 
1852  — C.  H.  Meacham. 
1853 — H.  Benjamin. 


1855  — D.  S.  McGraw. 

1856  — Milton  Smith. 
1857—  W.  K.  Patrick. 


OVERSEERS  OF   THE   POOR  : 

1850  —  L.  E.  Landon.  1854  —  Allen  Hills. 

1851  —  Calvin  Muzzy.  1855  —  Allen  Hills. 

1852  —  H.  Meacham.  1856  —  Levi  H.  Kinnc. 

1853  —  Allen  Hills.  1857  —  Levi  H.  Kinne. 


COLLECTORS  I 


1850— H.  0.  Hills. 
1851— H.  0.  Hills. 

1852  —  J.  G.  Yearick. 

1853  —  James  Vint. 


1854  — S.  0.  Pepper. 

1855  —  S.  0.  Pepper. 

1856  — Asa  Dudley. 

1857  — Asa  Dudley. 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  147 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  ADDISON. 


THE  settlement  of  this  town  began  in  1834.  -  The 
first  inhabitants  were  Ebenezer  Duncklee  and  Heze- 
kiali  Duncklee,  from  Hillsborongh,  N.  H.,  and  Mason 
Smith,  from  Potsdam,  N.  Y.  They  left  Potsdam  on 
the  13th  of  August,  1833,  and  arrived  at  Chicago  on 
the  3d  of  September,  traveling  by  land  across  Michi- 
gan and  Northern  Indiana.  Leaving  Chicago  on  the 
8th  of  September,  they  followed  the  trail  of  Gen. 
Scott's  army,  which  had  preceded  them,  to  the  Des 
Plaines  river,  where  they  camped  for  the  night,  near 
a  party  of  300  Indians.  On  the  following  day,  they 
proceeded  along  the  trail  as  far  as  the  south  line  of 
Addison.  Here  they  found  a  grave,  which  was  sup- 
posed to  be  that  of  a  soldier  in  Gen.  Scott's  army. 
The  grave  was  on  the  west  bank  of  Salt  creek.  On  the 
opposite  bank,  near  what  is  now  called  Grey's  grove, 
were  the  remains  of  the  army  encampment.  Some  of 
the  tent  posts  were  still  standing.  Upon  examination, 
it  \\  as  found  that  the  waters  of  the  creek  were  not  salt, 
as  they  had  supposed.  The  stream  received  its  name 
from  this  circumstance :  A  hoosier  team,  loaded 
with  salt,  became  "  stalled"  while  fording  it,  and  the 
driver  was  obliged  to  lighten  his  load  by  rolling 
several  barrels  into  the  water.  The  party  left  the 
creek  at  5  o'clock,  and  pursued  the  trail.  Soon  after 
dark  they  discovered  a  light,  which  seemed  at  no 
great  distance.  One  of  the  company  set  out  in  ad- 
vance, hoping  to  reach  it,  but  after  making  a  circuit 
through  the  tall  prairie  grass,  he  came  upon  his  com- 
rades near  the  place  from  which  lie  started — and  the 


HISTOKY    OF 


party  camped  for  the  'night  among  the  prairie  grass 
and  flowers.  Their  slumbers  were  somewhat  disturbed 
by  the  prairie  wolves,  which  howled  most  hideously 
about  them  during  a  greater  part  of  the  night ;  but 
wearied  by  their  long  marches,  they  rested  full  as 
well  as  could  be  expected  under  the  circumstances. 
On  the  following  day  they  reached  Meacham's  grove, 
where  they  found  three  settlers  by  the  name  of 
Meacham.  Here  they  obtained  some  instruction  in 
the  arts  of  border  life.  They  learned  how  to  make 
their  claims,  how  to  construct  cabins,  and  how  to 
manufacture  their  beds.  From  this  place  they  pro- 
ceeded to  Elk  grove,  and  thence  along  the  west  bank 
of  Salt  creek  to  Duncklee's  grove,  and  camped  for 
1he  night  on  the  spot  where  the  house  of  H.  D.  Fisher 
now  stands. 

On  the  12th  day  of  September  tliey  took  a  northern 
direction  through  the  timber,  and  made  their  claims 
near  the  north  end  of  the  grove.  The  timber  claims 
were  made  by  marking  trees,  and  the  prairie  claims 
by  plowing  a  furrow  entirely  around  each.  Imme- 
diate preparations  were  made  for  the  erection  of  a 
house.  The  ground  was  leveled  with  a  hoe,  and 
prairie  grass,  which  was  cut  with  an  ax,  was  spread 
upon  it  for  beds.  A  tent  was  made  of  cotton  cloth, 
and  here  they  lived  for  half  a  month,  until  their  cabin 
could  be  completed.  The  sides  of  the  new  cabin 
were  formed  of  logs,  drawn  together  by  the  pony  — 
an  important  member  of  the  company,  of  whom  honor- 
able mention  is  hereafter  made  —  the  floor  was  formed 
of  split  logs,  and  the  roof  of  oak  shingles.  The  family 
of  E.  Duncklee  arrived  in  August,  1834.  The  18th 
day  of  June,  1835,  was  the  date  of  the  birth  of  the 


DU    TAGE    COUNTY. 


first  white  child  in  the  town.  Three  barrels  of  frozen 
apples  were  planted  by  Mr.  Duncklee  in  the  spring  of 
1836,  from  which  nearly  all  the  region  has  been  sup- 
plied with  fruit  trees.  He  sold  from  his  own  orchard, 
in  1855,  upward  of  $600  worth  of  fruit.  There  is  a 
cotton-wood  tree  standing  in  his  yard  which  sprang 
from  seed  sown  in  1837,  and  measures  five  feet  two 
inches  in  circumference,  at  a  height  of  fourteen  inches 
from  the  ground. 

The  following  table  gives  the  names  of  the  early 
settlers,  the  date  of  settlement,  and  the  state  or  coun- 
try from  which  they  emigrated  : 


NAMES. 

TEAR. 

WHERE    FROM. 

1834 

N.  H. 

u 

u 

E.  Duncklee  

1835 

u 

1834 

Mass. 

C  Fisher               .    •    

u 

Germany. 

1835 

M 

N;  Y. 

M 

M 

<( 

<l 

(( 

U 

<l 

U 

1836 

Germany. 

B.  Kaler  

u 

u 

N.  Y. 

D.  Gray  

1834 

Germany. 

F.  Gray  

u 

H.  D.  Fisher  

1836 

(I 

1835 

u 

F.  Smith  

M 

u 

T.  Thomson  

1834 

ii 

Lewis  Smith  

1835 

« 

H.  Rotermund  

1837 

u 

F.  Kragie  

M 

F.  Stainkle  

u 

u 

1836 

u 

S.  D.  Pierce  

N.  Y. 

C.  W.  Martin  

ii 

t« 

W.  Boske   

1835 

Germany. 

B.  F,  Fillmore  

1836 

Vermont. 

Edwin  Pierce  

188Y 

N.  Y. 

150  HISTORY     OF 


This  is  strictly  an  agricultural  town.  The  first  at- 
tempt at  farming,  of  which  the  writer  has  any  account, 
was  in  the  fall  of  1834.  Mason  Smith  and  Hezekiah 
Duncklee  cut  and  stacked  a  few  tons  of  hay  near  Salt 
creek,  to  keep  a  small  pony,  which  was  their  joint 
possession,  and  which  had  brought  them  all  the  way 
from  Detroit.  Their  stack  was  completed  after  several 
days'  hard  labor,  and  they  were  advised  to  burn  the 
grass  for  several  rods  around  it,  in  order  to  protect  it 
from  the  annual  fires  set  by  the  Indians.  Being  un- 
acquainted with  the  business,  they  set  the  fire  too 
near,  and  not  only  burned  up  the  grass  about  it,  but 
the  whole  stack  was  consumed,  leaving  the  pony  des- 
titute of  a  winter's  allowance.  Winter  came  on,  and 
having  no  hay,  they  turned  him  into  the  grove,  where 
he  lived  and  prospered  until  the  opening  of  spring. 
The  land  in  this  town  came  into  market  in  18-42,  hav- 
ing been  surveyed  the  previous  year.  "When  the  first 
settlers  came  into  the  town,  the  land  being  unsurveyed, 
each  made  what  was  termed  a  claim,  by  staking  or 
surrounding  with  a  furrow  as  much  land  as  he  thought 
he  would  be  able  to  pay  for,  when  it  should  come  into 
market.  The  usual  quantity  claimed  was  160  acres; 
some,  however,  claimed  more,  and  some  less  than  that 
amount.  There  were  some  conflicting  claims ;  but 
these  difficulties  were  generally  settled  when  the  land 
was  sold,  by  the  one  having  the  largest  portion  of  the 
disputed  claim  buying  the  whole,  and  then  re-deeding 
to  each  holder  his  proportion.  In  this  way  all  obtain- 
ed their  lands  as  claimed,  without  regard  to  govern- 
ment lines.  There  are  tliree  groves  of  thrifty  growing 
timber  in  this  town.  Duncklee's  grove  lies  on  the 
east  bank  and  alone:  the  Salt  creek.  It  is  about  three 


DU    TAGE    COUNTY.  151 

miles  in  length,  and  half  a  mile  in  width.  Grey's 
grove  lies  also  on  the  east  branch  of  Salt  creek,  and 
contains  about  100  acres.  Kaler's  grove,  though 
smaller,  affords  considerable  fuel  and  timber. 

The  balance  of  the  lands  of  this  town  is  chiefly 
flat  prairie.  The  soil  is  from  two  to  two  and  one-half 
feet  in  depth,  with  a  subsoil  of  clay.  It  produces  good 
spring  wheat,  oats,  corn,  potatoes,  etc.  Winter  wheat 
generally  kills  out  in  the  spring,  by  alternate  freezing 
and  thawing.  The  greater  part  of  the  hay  is  made 
from  prairie  grass,  which  grows  luxuriantly  on  the 
creek  bottoms,  and  on  the  low  ground.  Clover,  timo- 
thy and  herdsgrass  do  well,  but  require  manure  to 
neutralize  the  alkalies  in  the  land.  The  lands  produce 
an  average  of  about  twenty  bushels  of  spring  wrheat, 
forty  bushels  of  oats,  forty  bushels  of  corn,  and  one 
hundred  bushels  of  potatoes  to  the  acre. 

The  price  of  farms  in  this  town  varies  according  to 
their  improvement.  The  minimum  value  is  $25  per 
acre,  and  the  maximum  $50. 

The  school  section  of  this  town  sold  for  $800,  which 
has  been  increased,  by  addition  of  interest  from  time 
to  time,  to  $1,300.  There  are  eight  school  districts  in 
the  town,  six  of  which  are  provided  with  good  school 
buildings.  There  are  three  German  schools  taught. 
Henry  Bartling  is  the  post  master  in  the  south  part  of 
the  town,  and  S.  D.  Pierce  at  Sagone,  in  the  north 
part.  There  are  three  churches,  two  establishments 
for  the  manufacture  of  brick,  one  grist  mill,  one  car- 
riage shop,  one  cabinet  shop,  four  stores,  two  boot  and 
shoe  shops,  and  two  blacksmith  shops  in  the  town. 
The  Lutherans  have  a  large  society,  and  worship  in  a 


152  HISTORY    OF 


house  built  for  their  own  accommodation.  The 
present  pastor  is  Rev.  E.  A.  Brauer. 

The  German  Methodist  society  of  this  town .  is  also 
large.  It  has  a  house  of  worship,  and  the  pulpit  is 
regularly  supplied  by  a  settled  pastor.  The  present 
pastor  of  this  church  is  Rev.  U.  Macklin. 

This  town  has  been  visited  with  several  violent  and 
destructive  storms  within  a  few  years  past,  the  effects 
of  which  were  also  experienced  in  other  parts  of  the 
county,  and  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  M.  L.  Dunlap, 
Esq.,  we  are  enabled  to  place  some  account  of  them 
before  oiir  readers.  The  following  communication  was 
published  uTthe  Chicago  Democrat,  of  June  13, 1847 : 


THE    HAIL    STORM. 

"  This  part  of  the  country  was  yesterday  visited  with 
one  of  the  severest  storms  of  rain  and  hail  that  I  have 
ever  witnessed  —  the  country  is  completely  inundated. 
The  morning  was  cloudy,  with  wind  from  the  south, 
occasionally  shifting  to  the  southwest ;  during  the 
forenoon,  the  clouds  gave  the  appearance  of  good 
weather.  At  7  A.  M.  the  barometer  stood  at  29.50 
inches,  and  thermometer  at  68°.  At  12  o'clock  the 
latter  had  risen  to  77o,  and  the  former  had  fallen  to 
28.40  inches.  At  this  time  a  thunder  shower  was  roll- 
ing up  its  black  masses  from  the  northwest,  and  at  1 
o'clock  it  burst  upon  us  with  full  force,  attended  with 
large  quantities  of  hail  of  icy  firmness.  The  mass  of 
hail  stones  would  average  three-eights  of  an  inch  in 
diameter,  while  many  specimens  picked  up  measured 
over  one  and  a  half  inches  in  circumference. 

Several  lighter  showers  followed,  with  wind  from 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  153 

the  southeast ;  and  at  4  o'clock  a  heavy  shower  pre- 
sented itself  in  the  north,  extending  itself  south  and 
east,  with  wind  from  the  east.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
wind  suddenly  shifted  to  the  north,  when  the  rain 
commenced  falling  in  torrents,  completely  shutting  out 
the  view.  The  rain  partially  abated,  when  the  hail 
commenced  pouring  down  at  a  fearful  rate,  the  average 
size  of  the  hail  stones  being  half  an  inch  in  diameter, 
while  many  of  them  would  measure  over  three  inches 
in  circumference,  being  an  aggregation  of  hail  stones 
cemented  together — perfect  ragged  lumps  of  ice.  The 
barometer  fell  to  28.30  inches,  and  thermometer  to  59°; 
after  the  storm  the  latter  rose  to  6TC,  and  the  former 
to  28.40  inches.  There  was  but  little  wind  during  the 
falling  of  the  hail. 

This  morning  the  houses,  gardens  and  fields  were  a 
dismal  sight.  Nearly  all  the  glass  is  out  of  the  win- 
dows on  the  north  sides  of  the  houses,  the  young  fruit 
is  stripped  from  the  trees,  buds  and  grafts  of  this  year's 
growth  are  broken  off,  and  the  field  crops  are  more 
than  half  destroyed.  The  damage  to  our  farms  in  this 
part  of  the  county  will  be  severely  felt."  Here  is 
another  dated  July  15th,  1854. 

A  DESTRUCTIVE   STORM. 

"  "We  turn  aside  from  our  usual  articles  on  culture, 
to  record  one  of  the  most  destructive  hail  storms 
within  our  knowledge.  It  occurred  about  5  o'clock 
P.  M.,  Thursday,  the  13th  instant.  Commencing  in 
the  town  of  JBloomingdale,  Du  PAGE  County,  and 
passing  through  Addison  in  the  same  county,  thence 
into  Cook  county  through  the  north  part  of  Leyden, 


154:  HISTORY     OF 


the  south  part  of  Elk  grove  and  Maine,  thence  through 
Xiles  to  the  lake.  Its  track  of  greatest  destruction 
was  about  a  mile  in  width,  though  the  hail  fell  in  tor- 
rents, doing  more  or  less  damage  for  a  mile  on  each 
side  of  this  line.  The  entire  crops  of  grain  and  po- 
tatoes are  completely  broken  down  and  ruined ;  the 
grass  has  fared  little  better,  being  badly  injured  and 
much  of  it  not  worth  cutting.  The  corn  is  completely 
stripped  of  its  leaves,  and  mostly  broken  off  near  the 
ground.  Fruit  and  shade  trees  are  nearly  defoliated, 
badly  bruised,  and  in  many  cases  large  stripes  of  bark 
knocked  off.  At  the  house  of  I.  Knowles.  in  Addison, 
a  pile  of  hail  stones  accumulated  in  an  angle  of  the 
building  three  feet  deep,  and  at  5  o'clock  next  day, 
hail  stones  were  measured  from  this  pile  from  three 
to  five  inches  in  circumference.  The  trees  on  this 
farm  are  mostly  stripped  of  their  bark. 

All  the  windows  on  the  south  .and  west  sides  of  the 
houses  had  the  glass  broken.  Cattle  ran  bellowing 
through  the  fields — horses  broke  from  their  fastenings 
and  ran  with  whatever  was  fast  to  them.  The  ten 
minutes  the  hail  was  falling,  were  of  fearful  grandeur, 
alarm  and  rapid  destruction.  The  dark  mass  of  cloud 
streaked  with  the  lurid  lightning — the  roaring  of  the 
hail  like  the  pouring  out  of  a  thousand  torrents  might 
well  inspire  terror  and  dismay.  In  a  few  short  min- 
utes the  hopes  of  the  husbandman  were  gone ;  the 
broad  ears  of  beautiful  waving  grain  fast  ripening  for 
the  reaper,  and  which  were  destined  to  feed  and  clothe 
those  he  held  most  dear,  were  utterly  ruined  and  pros- 
trated before  him.  Think  you,  gentle  reader,  that  no 
tears  coursed  down  the  sun-burnt  cheeks  of  those 


UU    PAGE    COUNTY.  155 

hardy  sons  of  toil,  to  see  their  cherished  hopes  thus 
swept  away,  themselves,  teams  and  farm  implements 
turned  out  nearly  idle  for  the  remainder  of  the  season  ; 
and  the  hopes  of  their  families  resting  on  their  daily 
labor,  or  the  prospect  of  a  mortgage  to  carry  them 
forward  to  another  harvest  ?  We  know  the  heart  of 
the  farmer  is  large,  and  ever  open  to  relieve  the  un- 
fortunate, and  in  this  case  we  feel  assured  that  those 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  will  extend  a  helping  hand 
in  the  way  of  grass,  grain,  and  labor,  not  forgetting 
those  garden  vegetables  so  desirable  to  the  health  and 
comfort  of  a  family. 

Yesterday  we  passed  over  a  small  portion  of  the 
unfortunate  tract,  and  made  some  figures  of  the  loss, 
but  these  embrace  only  a  small  portion,  and  do  not 
include  all  within  the  distance  passed  over,  as  we  pre- 
fer to  omit  the  estimate  rather  than  take  them  from 
hearsay.  In  this  estimate  we  have  taken,  the  probable 
amount  of  grain,  etc.,  at  its  market  price,  after  deduct- 
ing the  cost  of  harvesting  and  marketing.  It  is  prob- 
ably much  below  the  ultimate  loss  in  deranging  farm 
operations,  and  the  extra  expense  of  procuring  hay 
and  grain  for  farm  use  : 

Wm.  Richardson, $600  M.  Millner, $500 

D.  Lester, 600  Mr.  Millner, 350 

C.  Heimsoth, 200  J.  &  J.  Baker, 450 

Mr.  Bettings, 250  J.  Knowls, 600 

J.  H.  Ehle, 400  T.  D.  Pierce, 500 

S.  D.  Pierce, 900  Messrs.  Chesman, 400 

A.  Ingals, 800  Messrs.  Lock, 100 

A.  Tupp, 100  L.  Gary 300 

Mr.  Ohlerking, 800  Mrs.  Going, 500 

P.  Turner, 600  B.  F.  Fillmore, 200 

D.  S.  Dunning, 400  C.  W.  Martin, 300 


156  HISTORY    OF 


C.  Schwitzer,  ..............  300  G.  Landmair,  ..............  300 

F.  Teduka,  .......  .........  400  H.  Hadkin,  ................  200 

Dr.  E.  Smith,  ..........  ____  200  J.  Fennemore,  .............  900 

Lewis  Lester,  ..............  100  T.  B.  Cochran,  ..........  ____  600 

D.  Clark,  jr.,  ..............  500 

This  list,  imperfect  as  it  is,  shows  a  large  loss  for  a 
small  neighborhood  in  a  rural  district,  and  nearly  all 
within  the  delivery  of  the  Sagone  post  office,  in  the 
town  of  Addison.  The  south  margin  of  the  storm 
passed  over  Dunlap's  nursery,  in  the  town  of  Leyden, 
injuring  the  young  grafts  and  knocking  oif  fruit  from 
the  specimen  grounds,  which  is  to  be  regretted,  as  many 
varieties  were  fruiting  for  the  first  time,  by  which  their 
correctness  of  nomenclature  would  have  been  decided. 
Such  large  quantities  of  decaying  vegetable  matter, 
now  sweltering  in  a  summer  sun,  cannot  have  otherwise 
than  a  deleterious  effect  on  the  health  of  families 
residing  on  this  track  of  desolation." 

Under  the  township  organization  law,  the  first  town 
election  took  place  in  Addison,  in  April,  1850.  The 


following  list  includes  the  names  of  town  officers  since 
that  time  : 

SUPERVISOR  : 

1850  —  S.  D.  Pierce.  1854—  J.  Wakeman. 

1851—  P.  Northrop.  1855  —  H.  D.  Fisher. 

1852—  J.  Pierce.  1856—  " 
1853  —  E.  Lester.  1857—           " 


TOWN  CLERK: 

I860— P.  Northrop.  1854— B.  F.  Fillmore. 

1851— B.  F.  Fillmore.  1855—  " 

1852—  "  1856—  " 

1853—  "  1 857  —  H.  Bartling. 


BU    PAGE    COUNTY.  157 

ASSESSOR  I 

1850— H.  Rotermund.  1854— S.  D.  Pierce. 

1851—  "  1855—  N.  Sadler. 

1852  —  L.  Barnum.  1856  —  J.  A.  Kinne. 

1853— S.  D.  Pierce.  1857— S.  D.  Pierce. 


CONSTABLE  : 

1850— W.  Rotermund,  1854— S.  D.  Pierce. 

"        S.  D.  Pierce.  1855— L.  Rust, 

1851—  ."  "        J.  Pierce. 

1852—  "  1856—         " 

1853—  "  1857  — G.  Schneider. 


COLLECTOR  : 

1850 — W.  Rotermund.  1854 — L.  Rotermund. 

1851—  "  1855  — L.  Rust. 

1852— T.E.  Lester.  1856—      " 

1853  —  L.  Rotermund.  1857  —  T.  Smith. 


JUSTICE  OF  THE   PEACE: 

1 850  —  S.  D.  Pierce,  H.  D.  Fisher. 

Peter  Northrup.  1854—          " 

1851—  "  1855—    " 

1852—  "  1856—    " 
1853  — S.  D.  Pierce,          1857—    " 


158  HISTORY    OF 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  WIXFIELD. 


THIS  town  was  settled  in  1832  by  Erastus  and  Jude 
P.  Gary.  They  came  in  just  after  the  close  of  the 
Black  Hawk  war,  and  settled  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town.  Among  the  settlers  of  1834  were  Messrs.  M. 
Griswold,  J.  M.  "Warren,  J.  S.  P.  Lord,  A.  Churchill, 
Alvah  Fowler,  Ira  Herrick,  and  Ezra  Galusha.  The 
town  is  six  miles  square  ;  is  well  supplied  with  wood 
and  timber ;  is  watered  by  the  Du  Page  and  several 
smaller  streams ;  has  a  productive  soil  and  healthy 
climate ;  and  is  now  rapidly  increasing  in  wealth  and 
population. 

There  are  in  the  town  three  pleasant  villages,  three 
churches,  one  academy,  one  grist  mill,  two  saw  mills, 
twelve  stores,  ten  factories,  three  post  offices,  two  rail- 
road stations,  and  a  population  of  about  1,600. 

Of  the  three  villages  —  Warrenville,  Winfield  and 
Turner  —  Warrenville  was  first  settled.  The  first 
house  was  built  by  Col.  J.  M.  Warren  in  1834.  There 
are  now  in  the  village  a  Baptist  church,  an  incorpo- 
rated academy,  a  grist  mill,  a  saw  mill,  three  black- 
smith shops,  two  dry  goods  stores,  one  drug  store,  a 
post  office,  two  wagon  shops,  a  hotel,  and  about  250 
inhabitants.  The  village  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the 
west  fork  of  the  Du  Page  river,  three  miles  from 
Winfield  station,  on  the  G.  &  C.  U.  railroad. 

The  first  efforts  toward  establishing  a  religious  or- 
ganization in  Winfield  were  commenced  at  this  place 
by  a  few  members  of  the  Du  Page  Baptist  church,  as 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  159 

early  as  1834.  February  4th,  1836,  preparatory  mea- 
sures were  taken  to  organize  a  society.  At  a  meeting 
held  at  that  time,  after  some  discussion,  the  following 
preamble  and  resolutions  were  adopted :  "  Whereas, 
in  the  providence  of  God,  we  are  located  in  this  part 
of  God's  moral  vineyard,  and  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  our  mother  church,  or  any  other  church  of 
the  same  faith  and  order :  Resolved,  That  we  organize 
ourselves  into  a  regular  Baptist  church,  to  be  located 
at  Warren ville,  and  to  be  called  the  Second  Du  Page 
Baptist  church :  Resolved,  That  we  send  letters  to 
sister  churches,  inviting  them  to  send  their  pastors 
and  deacons,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  us  fellowship 
as  a  sister  church." 

On  the  23d  of  February  the  society  met  at  "Warren- 
ville  for  the  purpose  of  organizing,  and  the  following 
churches  were  represented :  First  Baptist  church  of 
Chicago,  by  Elder  J.  T.  Ilinton  and  Deacon  Jonson  ; 
First  Church  of  Du  Page,  by  Elder  A.  B.  Hubbard 
and  Judge  Wilson.  « 

The  council  was  duly  organized  by  the  appointment 
of  Judge  "Wilson  moderator,  and  A.  E.  Carpenter 
scribe.  The  articles  of  faith,  and  practice  and  coven- 
ant, were  then  presented  to  the  council,  with  the 
names  of  the  members  proposing  to  be  recognized. 
Sixteen  members  were  present,  and  it  was  resolved  by 
the  council :  "  That  we  recognize  these  members  as  a 
regular  Baptist  church."  The  services  of  recognition 
then  took  place.  A  sermon  was  preached  by  Elder 
J.  T.  Ilinton,  and  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  was 
given  and  a  prayer  offered  by  Elder  Hubbard.  The 
following  are  the  names  of  the  members  recognized  : 


160  HISTORY    OF 


A.  E.  Carpenter,  Sarali  Carpenter,  Manus  Griswold, 
Sophia  Griswold,  Alfred  Churchill,  Susannah  Chur- 
chill, J.  S.  P.  Lord,  Mary  Lord,  Nancy  Warren,  Phi- 
linda  Warren,  Joseph  Fish. 

Several  ministers  took  a  deep  interest  at  an  early 
day  in  this  branch  of  Zion.  Among  them  was  Elder 
Ashley,  whose  name  is  embalmed  in  the  hearts  of  the 
pious  in  this  part  of  the  Lord's  vineyard.  He  was 
with  this  church  through  several  precious  revivals,  and 
was  the  means,  in  the  hand  of  God,  of  bringing  many 
from  darkness  to  light.  The  first  pastor  of  this  society 
was  Elder  L.  B.  King.  He  has  been  succeeded  by 
Elders  A.  B.  Hubbard,  Joel  "Wheeler,  A.  J.  Joslyn, 

A.  Taylor,  Joel  Wheeler,  S.  F.  Holt,  Freeman, 

and  H.  Westcott,  the  present  pastor,  who  recently 
came  to  this  state  from  New  Jersey.  The  society 
worshipped  in  a  private  house  for  some  time  in  its 
early  history,  there  being  no  school  house  in  or  about 
Warrenville,  in  which  to  hold  its  meetings.  The  first 
school  house  built  here  was  occupied  by  the  church 
until  the  old  church  building  was  purchased  of  Col. 
Warren  and  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  society.  A 
large  and  handsome  church  edifice  is  now  in  process 
of  erection.  The  corner  stone  was  laid  J  uly  22d,  1857. 
The  ceremonies  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Howard 
and  Rev.  Mr.  Boyd,  of  Chicago ;  Rev.  Mr.  Raymond 
and  Rev.  Mr.  Estee,  of  Aurora ;  Rev.  J.  H.  Worrell, 
of  Bloomingdale ;  Rev.  E.  Barker,  of  Naperville ;  and 
Rev.  H.  Westcott,  pastor.  The  house  is  35  feet  by 
66,  surmounted  with  a  beautiful  spire.  The  cost  of 
building,  including  bell  and  fixtures,  is  estimated  at 
between  four  and  five  thousand  dollars.  Connected 


TAGE    COUNTY.  161 


with  this  church  are  a  Sabbath  school  of  fifty  scholars, 
and  two  interesting  bible  classes.  There  are  now 
belonging  to  this  church  fifty  members. 

A  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  in  the  west 
part  of  the  town  in  1836,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Clark,  mission- 
ary, with  seven  members.  Rev.  Washington  Wilcox 
commenced  preaching  at  the  Big  Woods  in  1836,  and 
continued  as  their  circuit  preacher  until  1839.  In 
June,  1839,  the  Big  Woods  church  was  completed, 
having  been  built  by  the  united  efforts-  of  the  Congre- 
gational, Baptist,  and  Methodist  societies,  who  have 
occupied  it  alternately  since  that  time.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Baxter  officiates  at  this  time  as  the  Congregational 
pastor,  and  Rev.  H.  Westcott  as  the  Baptist  pastor. 
There  are  at  present  about  eight  Baptist  members,  and 
about  the  same  number  of  Congregational  members. 

From  1836  to  1844,  the  house  of  John  Warne  was 
occupied  as  a  place  of  worship  by  the  Episcopal  Metho- 
dists living  on  the  east  side  of  the  Big  Woods.  That 
branch  of  the  society  now  worships  in  the  Big  Woods 
church. 

There  is  a  small  settlement  at  Gary's  mill,  near  the 
centre  of  the  town.  The  first  settler  here  was  Rev. 
Charles  Gary,  who  came  in  1837.  The  saw  mill  was 
erected  in  that  year.  A  society  of  Methodists,  seven 
in  number,  was  formed  here  under  the  labors  'of  Rev. 
W.  Wilcox,  in  1837,  since  which  time  the  society  has 
been  supplied  with  preachers  appointed  to  labor  on 
the  Naperville  circuit.  There  are  at  present  twenty 
resident  members  —  many  of  the  members  residing  in 
other  towns  having  withdrawn  and  formed  new  classes. 
The  Sabbath  school  of  this  society  was  commenced  in 


HIS  T  O  K  Y     O  F 


1838.  It  now  numbers  46  scholars,  and  has  a  library 
of  between  two  and  three  hundred  volumes.  The  orig- 
inal members  of  this  society  were  Angus  Ross, 
Elizabeth  Ross,  Erastus  Gary,  J.  P.  Gary,  Orinda 
Gary,  Samuel  Arnold,  and  Mrs.  Arnold. 

There  are  10  and  68-100  miles  of  railroad  in  this 
town,  on  which  the  villages  of  Winfield,  or  Fredericks- 
burg,  and  Turner  are  situated.  The  first  building  at 
"Winfield  was  erected  by  John  Hodges,  in  1849,  and 
occupied  for  several  years  as  the  depot  of  the  G.  &  C. 
U.  Railroad.  This  station  is  the  nearest  point  on  the 
railroad  to  .Naperville,  and  hence  its  freight  business 
is  large.  A  greater  amount  of  tonnage  is  sent  from 
this  place  than  from  any  other  station  in  the  county. 
The  present  station  house  was  built  in  1854.  There 
are  in  the  place  three  stores,  an  extensive  lumber 
yard,  owned  by  Mr.  John  Collins,  several  manufac- 
tories, and  a  brewery. 

The  following  account  of  the  village  of  Turner  has 
been  furnished  by  Dr.  J.  McConnell,  and  rather  than 
run  the  risk  of  marring  it  by  any  rude  touches  of  our 
own  pen,  we  insert  it  verbatim. 

"  The  village  of  Turner  is  situated  in  a  healthy 
region,  some  thirty  miles  west  of  Cliicago.  It  is  the 
centre  of  a  rich  and  fertile  plain,  gently  undulating, 
and  beautifully  interspersed  with  luxuriant  groves  and 
verdant  prairie,  with  here  and  there  the  farmer's  home 
rising  up  as  monuments  of  industry  and  beacons  of 
domestic  peace.  It  is  at  the  junction  of  four  railroads, 
viz. :  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad,  running 
from  this  point  to  Galena,  111.,  and  Dubuque,  Iowa ; 
the  Chicago  Iowa  &  Nebraska  Railroad,  running 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY".  103 


direct  to  Nebraska,  and  crossing  the  Mississippi  at  Ful- 
ton, 111.,  and  Clinton,  Iowa  ;  and  the  St.  Charles  Rail- 
road running  to  St.  Charles. 

The  first  house  within  the  limits  of  this  village  was 
built  by  Capt.  Alonzo  Harvey,  who  bought  the  claim 
covering  the  present  village  site,  and  during  the  time 
of  his  residence  in  said  house,  his  daughter  Lois  was 
born,  being  the  first  white  person  born  on  said  grounds. 
But  the  Captain  soon  tired  of  farming,  and  sold  his 
claim.  He  is  now  a  prominent  citizen  of  Chicago, 
where  his  daughter  Lois,  of  rare  beauty,  now  at  the 
age  of  sweet  sixteen,  mingles  a  welcome  guest  in  the 
first  circles  of  society. 

The  government  title  to  said  claim  was  partly 
secured  in  the  name  of  Wiiislow,  and  partly  in  the 
name  of  Stickney,  after  which  the  most  of  it  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Hon  J.  B.  Turner,  the  heirs  of  Mr. 
Winslow,  and  Dea.  J.  McConneU.  But  no  thoughts  of 
a  village  at  this  point  were  entertained  by  any  of  the 
inhabitants  until  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Rail- 
road Company  commenced  to  run  a  branch  of  their 
road  from  this  place  to  Fulton,  which  branch  is  now 
the  Chicago,  Iowa  &  Nebraska  Railroad.  In  fact,  no 
effort  to  build  up  a  village  was  attempted  till  the  spring 
of  1856,  when  Hon.  J.  B.  Turner  platted  and  recorded, 
according  to  the  statutes  of  the  state,  some  forty  acres, 
to  which  C.  "W.  "VVinslow,  Esq.,  added  twenty  acres. 
In  the  summer  following,  Deacon  J.  McConnell  made 
an  addition  of  seventy  acres  of  the  most  desirable 
business  and  dwellings  lots  in  said  town.  Since  which 
time,  there  have  been  sold  to  actual  settlers,  about 
thirty  lots,  some  of  which  have  already  been  built  upon, 


164:  HISTORY     OF 


and  upon  others,  buildings  are  now  being  constructed. 
Within  the  same  time,  from  a  farm  adjoining  said  vil- 
lage (owned  by  G.  "W.  Eastman,)  have  been  sold  about 
fifteen  acres,  in  lots,  ranging  from  one  to  two  acres, 
for  residences,  and  though  our  village  now  numbers 
only  about  five  hundred  souls,  it  is  a  place  of  vast 
business  energy  and  active  life. 

We  have  recently  had  an  extensive  variety  store 
established  here,  of  which  Williams  &  West  are  the 
proprietors.  They  sell  their  extensive  stock  at  Chi- 
cago prices,  and  are  about  building  an  extensive  store 
and  storehouse  on  Depot  street,  extending  across  to 
the  railroad  track.  W.  S.  Atchinson  is  also  building 
a  large  store,  for  a  wholesale  and  retail  boot  and  shore 
business. 

With  all  our  railroad  facilities,  this  is  a  choice  loca- 
tion to  "head  off  large  Chicago  jobbing  houses.  Dr. 
Hall  is  also  building  a  store  for  the  drug  business.  J. 
McDonald  has  also  a  large  store  and  storehouse,  and 
deals  extensively  in  dry  goods,  groceries,  hardware 
and  agricultural  implements.  He  also  pays  cash  for 
all  the  farmer  has  to  sell,  and  to  show  the  increase  in 
liis  business,  I  give  the  following  statistics  :  In  1853, 
when  he  commenced  buying  grain,  his  receipts  were 
only  1200  bushels  ;  in  1854,  3000  bushels ;  and  in  1855 
they  reached  over  30,000  bushels ;  with  a  steady 
increase  ever  since,  together  with  a  trade  in  butter, 
lard,  pork  and  wool,  to  compare. 

We  have  also  a  large  and  commodious  hotel,  of 
which  Messrs.  Alexander  &  Easterbrooks  are  the  gen- 
tlemanly proprietors ;  a  country  tavern  kept  by 
Michael  Hahn ;  a  large  boarding  house  of  which  W 


BIT    PAGE    COUNTY.  165 

J.  Mo  wry  is  proprietor ;  a  splendid  butcher's  shop, 
owned  by  Win.  Updike  ;  a  livery  stable,  by  Crum  ;  a 
blacksmith  shop ;  carriage  shop ;  two  grocery  and 
provision  stores  ;  one  tailor's  shop ;  a  dress  maker  and 
milliner ;  a  harness  shop ;  a  boot  and  shoe  store ;  and 
eight  resident  carpenters  and  joiners. 

The  railroad  companies  make  this  their  general  wood 
depot.  They  also  have  machine  shops ;  a  T  rail  re- 
pairing shop,  with  steam  power,  etc..  To  carry  on 
their  branch  of  industry,  for  officers,  agents,  mechanics, 
and  common  laborers,  it  requires  about  a  hundred  men, 
and  as  about  forty  trains  every  twenty-four  hours  pass 
through  this  place,  it  requires  four  extensive  wells 
to  fill  the  tanks  of  the  tenders.  The  shipments  and 
transhipments  upon  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  at  this  place,  amount  to  about  a  thousand 
tons  per  month ;  of  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union 
Railroad  to  about  fifteen  hundred  tons  per  month,  and 
the  Chicago,  Iowa  &  Nebraska  Railroad  rather  less. 

As  literary  and  professional  men,  we  have  Rev.  R. 
A.  "Watkms,  Rev.  S.  "W.  Champlain,  J.  McConnell, 
M.  D.,  and  Dr.  Hall. 

The  best  public  school  house  in  Du  PAGE  County 
was  built  in  this  village  the  present  summer.  In  the 
summer  of  1856  was  organized  the  "First  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Turner,"  and  the  following  named 
officers  elected :  Deacons,  Dr.  J.  McConnell  and  "W". 
R.  Currier;  Clerk,  J.  L.  Hagadone.  A  few  days 
after,  a  body  corporate,  with  power  to  hold  real 
estate,  was  formed  under  the  title  of  "The  Congre- 
gational Church  and  Society  of  Turner,  Illinois,"  and 
the  following  board  of  trustees  was  elected,  viz. : 


166  IIISOTKY    OF 


Deacon  J.  McConnell,  Deacon  "W.  E.  Currier  and 
Milo  Hawks,  Esq.  The  Hon.  J.  B.  Turner,  in  honor 
ef  whom  the  village  was  named,  being  present, 
donated  to  the  society  a  splendid  lot  for  a  meeting 
house,  and  immediate  steps  were  taken  to  prepare 
the  way  for  erecting  a  house  of  worship  upon  it.  The 
Rev.  S.  "W.  Champlain  who  is  now  preaching  here, 
is  the  first  minister  employed  by  the  society.  There 
is  an  interesting  Sabbath  school  in  successful  opera- 
tion here,  of  some  fifty  pupils,  and  an  intelligent  bible 
class  numbering  over  twenty.  The  library  contains 
about  two  hundred  volumes." 

Winfield  is  a  well  cultivated  farming  town.  The 
aggregate  value  of  real  estate  in  1856,  was  $160,329, 
and  of  personal  property  $68,007.  The  town,  is 
divided  into  eight  school  districts,  all  of  which  are 
provided  with  good  school  houses.  The  school  sec- 
tion was  sold  in  1840,  at  ten  shillings  per  acre,  and 
the  fund  thus  derived  has-  been  increased  to  $1,282. 
The  amount  paid  to  teachers  in  1857  was  $1,126, 
and  for  building  and  repairing  $1,785.  The  whole 
number  of  scholars  in  attendance  during  1857,  was 
three  hundred  and  seventy-five. 

A  company  called -The  Winfield  Cavalry,  was  or- 
ganized here  in  1855.  It  has  now  about  forty  mem- 
bers. G.  N.  Roundy,  captain  ;  and  F.  G.  Kimball, 
first  lieutenant. 

The  first  town  meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Charles  Gary,  in  April,  1850.  The  following  are  the 
names  of  town  officers  who  have  been  elected  since 
that  time: 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  167 

SUPERVISORS  I 

1850  —William  C.  Todd.  1854  —  Charles  Gary. 

1851  —  William  C.  Todd.  1855  —  Gurdon  Roundy, 

1 852  —  William  C.  Todd.  1 856  —  Truman  W.  Smith. 

1 853  —  Charles  Gary.  1857  —  Charles  Gary. 


TOWN    CLEEKS  : 

1850  — C.  L.  Shepherd.  1854  — B.  L.  Harlow. 

1851  — C.  L.  Shepherd.  1855  — B.  L.  Harlow. 

1852  —  L.  Reed  Warren.  1856  —  B.  L.  Harlow. 

1853  — B.  L.  Harlow.  1857— B.  L.  Harlow. 


OVERSEERS  OF  THE  POOR  : 
• 

1 850  —  Charles  Gary.  1854  —  William  C.  Todd. 

1851  —  Charles  Gary.  1855  —  James  Brown. 

1852  —  A.  E.  Carpenter.  1856  —  T.  W.  Smith. 

1853  —  A.  E.  Carpenter.  1857  —  Charles  Gary. 

COMMISSIONERS  OF  HIGHWAYS  I 

1850 — James  Brown,  1854 — M.M.Kemp, 

J.  A.  Smith,  John  Fairbank, 

Israel  Mather.  Luther  Chandler. 

1 851  — James  Brown,  1855 — Ira  Woodman, 

J.  A.  Smith,  Luther.  Chandler, 

Isi  ael  Mather.  W.  G.  Seargent. 

1852  —  James  Brown,  1856 — Walter  Germain, 

J.  A.  Smith,  E.  Manville, 

Israel  Mather.  W.  G.  Seargent. 

1853— M.  M.  Kemp,  1857— Walter  Germain, 

John  Fairbank,  Charles  Bradley, 

G.  N.  Roundy.  H.  L.  Brown. 


CONSTABLES  : 

1850  — A.  C.  Graves,  1852  — A.  C.  Graves, 

Thomas  M.  Griswold.  S.  B.  Kimball. 

1 85 1  —  A.  C .  Graves,  1 853  —  A.  C.  Graves, 

S.  B.  Kimball.  S.  B.  Kimball. 


168 


HISTORY    OF 


CONSTABLES CONTINUED  : 


1854  — A.  C.  Graves, 

S.  B.  Kimball. 

1855  — S.  B.  Kimball, 

T.  W.  Smith. 


1 850  —  Harvey  Higby. 

1851  — A.  C.  Graves. 

1852  — A.  C.  Graves. 

1853  — S.  B.  Kimball. 


1850  —  Harvy  Higby. 
1851— A.  C.  Graves. 

1852  —  Joseph  Hudson. 

1853  —  Joseph  Hudson. 


1856  — S.  B.  Kimball, 

T.  W.  Smith. 

1857  —  Reuben  Austin. 


COLLECTORS : 


1854— S.  B.  Kimball. 

1855  —  S.  B.  Kimball. 

1856  —  James  Fairbank. 

1857  — B.  L.  Barlow. 


ASSESSORS  : 


1854  —  G.  N.  Roundy. 

1855  — 

1856  — Daniel -Wilson. 

1857  —  James  Fairbank. 


JUSTICES   OF   THE   PEACE: 


1853  — Walter  Germain. 

1854  — Charles  Gary, 

B.  L.  Harlow. 

1855— Charles  Gary. 

B.  L.  Harlow. 


1856  — Charles  Gary. 

B.  L  Harlow. 

1857  —  Charles  Gary. 

B.  L.  Harlow. 


DU    1'AGK    COUNTY.  169 


IIISTOEY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  WAYNE. 


THIS  town  is  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  county. 
It  was  first  settled  in  May,  1834.  The  first  family 
here  was  that  of  John  Laughlin.  Several  families  set- 
tled in  different  parts  of  the  town  during  1834  and  the 
following  year.  Among  these  were  Capt.  W.  Ham- 
mond, R.  Benjamin,  Ezra  Gilbert,  J.  Y.  King,  ~W. 
Farnsworth,  Jaihes  Davis,  Mr.  Guild,  Joseph  McMillen, 
Isaac  Nash,  Daniel  Dunham,  and  Ira  Albro.  The 
first  post-office  in  the  town  was  at  McMillen's  Grove. 
Here,  also,  the  first  dwelling  and  the  first  school-house 
were  erected.  There  were  but  few  settlers  in  the  town 
at  the  time  when  the  first  building  was  put  up,  and 
the  owners  of  it  anticipated  some  trouble  in  procuring 
help  at  the  raising.  They  however,  obviated  all  dif- 
ficulty on  that  score  by  sending  for  a  barrel  of  whis- 
key, which,  with  the  subordinate  services  of  only  three 
men,  performed  the  work  in  an  expeditious  and  satis- 
factory manner. 

No  incidents  occurred  in  the  early  settlement  of 
this  town  but  such  as  are  common  to  the  settlement  of 
all  new  countries.  But  little  more  grain  was  raised 
during  the  first  two  years  than  enough  to  satisfy  the 
demand  at  home.  Prices  were  extremely  low  for  all 
kinds  of  produce,  and  market  was  a  great  way  off. 
The  proceeds  of  a  load  of  corn  taken  to  Chicago  were 
hardly  sufficient  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  trip. 
One  of  the  first  settlers  informs  us,  however,  that  he 


170  HISTORY    OF 


did  realize  three  dollars  and  twelve  and  a  half  cents 
from  the  sale  of  one  load  of  forty  bushels,  which  he 
took  to  Chicago  in  1836,  after  using  twenty-five  cents 
for  necessary  expenses.  There  were  no  difficulties  re- 
specting claims  in  this  town,  and  every  claimant  re- 
ceived his  full  quantity  of  land  at  the  time  of  the  land 
sale. 

The  surface  of  the  town  is  generally  uneven,  con- 
sisting of  rolling  prairie.  Wheat,  oats,  and  corn  are 
the  chief  agricultural  staples.  Probably  no  town  in 
the  county  is  better  adapted  to  the  culture  of  grain. 

Fruit  is  cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent  in  this 
town,  especially  the  more  hardy  kinds.  Apple  trees 
grow  well ;  but  the  fruit  is  rendered  an  uncertain  crop 
On  account  of  the  severity  of  our  winters.  Frequent 
attempts  have  been  made  to  raise  pears,  peaches, 
plums  and  cherries,  without  much  success.  The  red 
English  cherry,  being  the  most  hardy,  does  better 
than  any  of  its  class.  Mr.  Luther  Bartlett,  of  this 
town,  has  been  more  persevering  in  his  efforts  to  in- 
troduce choice  kinds  of  fruit  than  any  other  person  in. 
this  part  of  the  county.  •  Some  four  years  since  he 
procured,  at  great  expense,  from  eastern  nurseries  and 
by  importation  from  Europe,  about  five  hundred  dwarf 
pear  trees,  and  set  them  out  on  his  farm.  The  first 
two  years  the  trees  did  well,  and  gave  promise  of  com- 
ing fruitfulriess ;  but  during  the  summer  of  1856,  which 
followed  an  unusually  hard  winter,  for  this  latitude, 
they  began  to  exhibit  signs  of  decay.  The  cold  wea- 
ther of  the  past  winter  was  also  unfavorable,  and  gave 
an  impetus  to  the  work  of  destruction  commenced  by 
the  former  season,  which  has  almost  desolated  the 


DLT    PAGE     COUNTY.  171 

field.  There  are  now  scarcely  a  dozen  trees  living  of 
the  five  hundred  planted  four  years  ago.  We  think 
the  experiment  of  Mr.  Bartlett  fully  determines  that 
this  region  is  not  adapted  to  the  raising  of  choice 
kinds  of  fruit. 

This  town  is  not  well  supplied  with  wood  and  tim- 
ber from  its  own  resources.  The  "  Little  Woods,"  just 
over  the  line  in  Kane  County,  are  chiefly  owned  by 
the  inhabitants  of  this  town,  and  afford  convenient 
supplies  of  both  fuel  and  timber.  Good  water  is 
abundant.  The  west  branch  of  the  Du  Page  runs 
through  the  east  part  of  the  town.  Streams  of  less 
note  and  many  living  springs  of  pure  water  are  found 
in  all  parts  of  the  town. 

The  attention  of  the  farmers  has  been  of  late  directed 
to  the  introduction  of  "  blooded "  stock.  Wool  is  be- 
coming an  important  article  among  agriculturalists. 
Several  large  flocks  of  fine  wool  sheep  are  owned 
here,  among  which  is  that  of  Luther  Bartlett,  which 
has  numbered  over  1,000.  The  farms  throughout  the 
town  present  unmistakable  evidence  of  thrift  and  in- 
dustry ;  the  dwellings  display  neatness  and  taste ;  and 
the  barns  are  constructed  on  a  scale  commensurate 
with  the  great  and  growing  demands  of  the  harvest 
fields.  Mr.  Daniel  Dunham,  of  this  town,  erected  a 
barn  in  1856,  the  dimensions  of  which  are  fifty  by  one 
hundred  feet.  It  has  sufficient  capacity  for  100  head 
of  cattle  and  300  tons  of  hay.  It  cost  about  $4,000, 
and  is  probably  the  largest  and  best  arranged  barn  in 
northern  Illinois.  Land  .in  this  town  is  worth  from 
$30  to  $40  per  acre.  The  farms  range  from  two  to 
five  hundred  acres.  Among  the  best  farms  in  the 


172  HISTORY    OF 


north  part  of  the  town  are  those  of  Messrs.  L.  Bartlett, 
W.  Hammond,  and  L.  Pierce  ;  and  in  the  south,  those 
of  Messrs.  D.  Dunham  and  Ira  Albro. 

There  are  seven  school  districts  in  the  town,  in  all 
of  which  schools  are  sustained.  The  whole  number  of 
scholars  who  attended  the  different  schools  during  the 
winter  of  1857,  was  218.  The  school  section  •  was 
mostly  occupied  by  settlers  before  it  came  into  market, 
and  by  an  agreement  among  the  pioneers  of  the  town, 
that  all  who  chanced  to  settle  upon  it  should  obtain 
their  lands  at  government  price,  it  was  sold  at  ten 
shillings  per  acre.  The  school  fund  thus  obtained  has 
increased  to  about  $1,300. 

The  Congregational  Church  is  the  only  organized 
religious  body  in  this  town.  This  society  was  formed 
in  1842,  or  thereabouts,  and  worshipped  in  the  school 
house  at  the  centre,  until  1849,  when  it  united  with 
the  school  district  in  erecting  a  building  suitable  for  a 
church  and  school-house.  From  some  dissatisfaction 
arising  from  joint  occupancy  or  ownership,  the  society 
soon  after  bought  out  the  interest  of  the  district,  and 
became  vested  with  the  sole  ownership.  By  the  aid  of 
the.  Home  Missionary  Society,  the  pulpit  has  been 
regularly  supplied  by  a  settled  minister.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Foot  was  the  first  pastor.  After  his  dismissal, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Parker  became  pastor ;  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sykes,  the  present  pastor,  who 
lias  served  the  society  acceptably  for  several  years. 
The  Sabbath  school  connected  with  this  church  has 
between  forty  and  fifty  scholars.  Several  other  denom- 
inations hold  meet.ings  in  different  parts  of  the  town. 

The  first  settlement  at  the  Centre,  alias ,  "  Gimlet- 


I)U     PAGE    COUNTY.  173 

v31e,M.o£«Wj  Orangevillc,  was  made  in  1836,  by  Mr. 
Guild.  Mr.  A.  Guild  is  the  post-master  at  this  place. 
It  is  a  small  settlement,  containing  one  church,  one 
store,  and  a  few  dwelling  houses.  There  is  a  small 
settlement  at  the  railroad  station,  consisting  of  two 
stores,  one  hotel,  a  post-office,  station  house,  ( and 
several  dwellings.  The  station  is  thirty-three  miles 
west  of  Chicago.  S.  Dunham  was  the  first  settler  at 
this  place. 

There  are  no  manufacturing  establishments  in  the 
town,  if  we  exclude  the  manufacture  of  brooms,  which 
has  been  carried  on  pretty  extensively  at  Wayne 
Centre.  The  present  population  is  about  1,100.  The 
town  is  peaceable  and  healthful,  being  cursed  by 
neither  lawyers  nor  doctors. 

We  give  below  a  list  of  town  officers,  who  have 
been  elected  since  the  town  of  Wayne  was  organized : 
SUPERVISORS  : 

1850  —  Luther  Fierce.  1854  —  Luther  Bartlett. 

1851  —  "  1855  —  Luther  Pierce. 

1852  —  "  1 856  —  Ira  Albro. 

1853  —  Luther  Bartlett.  "1857  —  Charles  Adam.s. 


TOWN  CLERKS  I 

I860  —  Ira  Albro.  1854  —  S.  W.  Moffatt. 

1851— Charles  Smith.  1855—  " 

1852—  "  1856—  J.  Q.  Adams. 

1853.—  "  1857—  " 


OVERSEERS  OF   POOR  : 

1 850  —  Charles  Smith.  1 854  —  Ira  Green. 

1851—  II.  Sherman.  1855  — W.  K.  Guild. 

1852  —Ira  Green.  1850  — Joel  Wiant. 

1853  —  Samiu-1  Adams.  1857  —  Charles  Adams. 


II  I  S  T  O  K  Y    OF 


ASSESSORS  : 

1850  —  S.  W.  Moffatt.  1854  —  J.  Clisbcc. 

1851  —  Charles  Adams.  1855  —  C.  Adams. 

1852—  "  1856  — John  Glos. 

1853—  "  1857  — Charles  Smith. 


COMMISSIONERS  OF   HIGHWAYS  : 

I860  — Charles    Adams,     Myron     1854  —  A.  D.  Moffatt,  Ira  Green, 
Smith,  Henry  Sherman.  D.  Dunham. 

1851  — Joel  Wiant,  S.  W.  Mof-     1855  — S.  Adams,  G.  Reed.H.V. 

fatt,  L.  Bartlett.  Sayer. 

1852  — D.  Sterns,  J.   Clisbee,  J.  ^1856  — H.  V.  Sayer,  A.  Fairbank, 

Wiant.  .         J.  0.  Haviland. 

1853  — J.  Clisbee,   D.   L.   Whe-     1857 —W.    H.    Moffatt,   W.   K. 

lock,  D.  Dunham.  Guild,  S.  Adams. 


JUSTICES   OF    THE  TEACE: 

1860  —  E.  L.  Guild,  S.  McNitt.        1854  —  Charles  Smith,  John  Glos. 
1851  —  E.  L.  Guild,  John  Glos.         1855  —  "  " 

1852—  "  "  1856—  "  " 

1863  —  L.    F.    Sanderson,    John     1857  —  Samuel    Adams,    Charles 
Glos.  Smith. 


CONSTABLES  : 

1850— D.C.  Nash.  1854— S.  Adams. 

1851  — a  Ford.  1855  — E.  C.  Guild. 

1852—  "  1856— Geo.  Rinehart. 

1853—  "  1857  — 


COLLECTORS : 

1860  —  D.  C.  Nash.  1854  —  S.  Adams. 

1851  — H.  Ford.  1855  —  Geo.  Rinehart. 

1852—         "  1856  — M.  J.  Hammond. 

1853  —  Ira  Green.  1857  —  Lvman  Flower. 


9 

DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  175 


HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN   OF  DOWNER'S 
GROVE. 


THE  following  sketch,  as  far  as  quoted,  has  been 
kindly  furnished  us  by  the  Hon.  Walter  Blanchard. 

"  Tins  town  is  in  the  southeast  corner  of  Du  PAGE 
County,  and  embraces  nearly  one  and  one  third  town- 
ships of  land.  It  was  first  settled  in  1832,  by  Pierce 
Downer  (not  by  Wells  and  Grant,  as  stated  in  our 
table)  who  emigrated  to  Illinois  from  Jefferson  county, 
!Srew  York. 

"He  was  at  that  time  a  man  of  unusual  physical 
powers,  energetic,  and  capable  of  great  endurance. 
He  is  still  living  at  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-five 
years,  and  although  his  bodily  health  is  somewhat 
impaired,  more  by  the  weight  of  years  than  by  disease, 
yet '  his  mind  retains  the  full  vigor  of  youth.  His 
habits  are  temperate,  industrious  and  studious.  In 
order  to  impart  a  correct  understanding  of  the  early 
settlement  of  this  part  of  the  county,  it  may  be  as  well 
to  state  that  Downer's  grove,  proper,  is  a  body  of  tim- 
ber, containing  about  one  section,  and  lies  mostly  on 
sections  six  and  seven  of  township  38.  N.  of  R.  11.  E. 
It  derived  its  name  from  the  first  settler  who  made 
his  claim  in  and  near  it.  Subsequently  the  whole 
township  received  the  same  name.  Mr.  Downer's 
settlement  was  followed  the  next  year  by  his  son 
Stephen,  Mr.  Wells  and  Mr.  Cooley.  The  claim 
made  by  Mr.  Downer  was  on  the  north  side  of  the 
grove ;  that  of  his  son  was  on  the  east  side ;  and  that 


II I  S T O  K  Y     OF 


of  Messrs.  Wells  and  Cooley  was  at  the  southeast 
extremity  of  the  large  prairie  which  stretches  away 
some  three  miles  toward  the  north,  five  miles  toward 
the  south,  and  three  miles  toward  the  west.  An  im- 
portant object  of  the  first  settlers  was  to  secure  a 
large  amount  of  good  timber,  hence  we  find  most  of 
our  pioneers  made  their  claims  on  the  borders  of  the 
groves  and  forests. 

"  The  country  about  the  grove  had  not  then  been  sur- 
veyed, and  the  settlers  marked  their  claims  in  divers 
ways ;  some  by  sticking  stakes ;  some  by  plowing  a 
furrow  around  them ;  while  others,  more  greedy, 
were  like  Franklin's  philosopher,  anxious  to  grasp 
more  than  they  could  hold,  and  claimed  all  the  eye 
could  survey,  at  one  long  look,  in  each  direction. 
From  this,  inordinate  development  of  acquisitiveness, 
many  quarrels  originated  respecting  claims.  With 
all  the  broad  extent  of  unoccupied  territory  around 
them,  it  would  seem  impossible  that  men,  in  order  to 
protect  their  rights,  should  have  been  obliged  to  make 
a  display  of  squatter  sovereignty ;  but  so  it  was.  The 
first  trouble  about  claims  in  this  town  was  between 
Mr.  Downer  and  Messrs-Cooley  and  Wells,  and  here 
is  Mr.  Downer's  version  of  the  matter. 

" '  I  went  to  Chicago  one  day  to  buy  some  pro- 
visions, and  on  returning,  thought  I  saw  some  one 
working  near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  grove.  I 
went  home  and  deposited  my  cargo  (a  back  load), 
and  although  very  tired,  went  out  to  reconnoitre  my 
premises.  To  my  great  surprise  I  found  Wells  and 
Cooley  had  commenced  erecting  a  cabin  on  my  claim. 
I  went  to  a  thicket  close  by  and  cut  a  hickory  gad, 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  177 

but  found  I  had  no  power  to  use  it,  for  I  was  so  mad 
that  it  took  my  strength  all  away.  So  I  sat  down 
and  tried  to  cool  off  a  little,  but  my  excitement  only 
cooled  from  a  sort  of  violent  passion  to  •  deep  and 
downright  indignation.  To  think  that  my  claim 
should  be  invaded,  and  that  too,  by  the  only  two 
white  men  besides  myself  then  at  the  grove,  made 
the  vessel  of  my  wrath  to  simmer  like  a  pent  sea 
over  a  burning  volcano.  I  could  sit  still  no  longer. 
So  I  got  up  and  advanced  towards"  them,  and  the 
nearer  I  approached  the  higher  rose  the  temperature 
of  my  anger,  which,  by  the  time  I  got  to  them,  was 
flush  up  to  the  boiling  point.  I  said  nothing,  but 
pitched  into  them,  shelalah  in  hand,  and  for  about 
five  minutes  did  pretty  good  execution.  But  becom- 
ing exhausted  and  being  no  longer  able  to  keep  them 
at  bay,  they  grappled  with  me,  threw  me  on  the 
ground,  and  after  holding  me  down  a  short  time,  they 
seemed  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that  '  discretion  was 
the  better  part  of  valor'  and  let  me  up,  when  they 
ran  one  way  and  I  the  other,  no  doubt  leaving  blood 
enough  upon  the  field  of  action  to  induce  a  stray 
prairie  wolf  to  stop  and  take  a  passing  snuff  as  he 
went  that  way.  But,  sir,  they  did'nt  come  again  to 
jump  my  claim.' 

"  The  Grove  at  an  early  day  was  one  of  the  favorite 
camping  grounds  of  an  Indian  chief  of  the  Potawatto- 
mies,  called  Waubansie.  Here  he  used  to  come  with 
his  warriors  and  remain  for  several  days  together,  and 
always  continued  on  the  most  friendly  terms  with  the 
settlers. 

"  The  first  impression  of  emigrants  to  this  region  was 
*8 


178  HISTORY    OF 


that  it  could  never  be  generally  settled  on  account  of 
the  scarcity  of  timber,  and  up  to  1836,  only  eight  or 
ten  families  had  settled  at  the  grove.  In  1835,  Mr. 
I.  P.  Blodgett  one  of  the  first  settlers  at  the  east 
branch  in  Lisle,  sold  out  his  claim  there,  and  bought 
that  of  Jumper  Wells  in  this  town. 

"Mr.  Blodgett  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  a  most 
worthy  man  and  really  a  great  accession  to  the  settle- 
ment, not  only  as  a  mechanic,  but  as  a  correct  and 
upright  man.  He  was  formerly  from  Massachusetts, 
and  possessed  New  England  habits  of -industry,  morals 
and  economy,  which  did  much  for  the  improvement 
of  society  in  the  new  settlement.  Here  Mr.  Blodgett 
built  a  shop,  and,  at  that  time,  made  the  best  plows 
to  be  found  in  the  country.  We  would  not  be  under- 
stood to  mean  by  this  remark  that  they  were  better 
than  the  modern  productions  of  Messrs.  Yaughan  and 
Feck,  but  those  who  know  the  difficulties  which  were 
encountered  before  the  scouring  plows  were  intro- 
duced, can  properly  appreciate  the  good  qualities  of 
the  plows  made  by  Mr.  Blodgett.  It  is  true  that  the 
operation  was  something  like  plowing  with  a  hemlock 
limb,  yet  they  were  the  best  plows  we  had,  and  so  we 
used  them.  To  one  who  has  never  held  a  plow  that 
would  not  scour,  all  this  may  be  uninteresting,  but 
ask  an  old  settler,  What  would  be  the  severest  test  of 
human  endurance  ?  and  he  will  no  doubt  answer, 
'Being  obliged  to  use  a  plow  that  will  not  clear 
itself.'  If  a  man  can  do  that  guiltless  of  profanity 
he  is  unquestionably  an  upright  person. 

"  Of  the  second  class  of  settlers  who  came  in  between 
1836  and  1839,  may  be  named,  Asa  Carpenter,  Dexter 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  179 

Stanley,  Levi  C.  Aldrich,  Garry  Smith,  Samuel  Cur- 
tis, J.  K.  Adams,  David  Page,  Henry  Carpenter, 
Walter  Blancliard,  J.  "W.  Walker  and  Horace  Aldrich. 
The  county  at  this  time  was  being  settled  very  fast  by 
new  comers,  and  the  interests  of  the  settlers  began  to 
clash.  The  claims  extended  around  the  entire  grove. 
'No  questions  arose  respecting  prairie  claims,  for  it  was 
the  timber  that  all  were  after.  Mr.  Horace  Aldrich 
had  come  in  from  Jefferson  comity,  New  York,  and 
Mr.  Downer  had  selected  a  claim  of  timber  and  prairie 
for  him.  It  was  not  long  before  he  discovered  that 
Asa  Carpenter  was  intruding  (we  dare  not  say  tres- 
passing) upon  his  timber  claim.  Mr.  Carpenter  was 
cutting  timber  for  fencing,  and  swore  he  would  persist 
in  doing  so,  for  he  had  as  good  a  right  there  as  any 
other  man.  The  neighbors  advised  with  him,  but  it 
was  of  no  use.  They  remonstrated,  but  the  effect  was 
the  same.  They  finally  threatened,  but  this  only  made 
the  old  man  swear  like  the  army  in  Flanders.  The 
neighbors  then  held  a  consultation  among  themselves, 
and  decided  to  apply  squatter  sovereignty  to  the  old 
man's  case.  Accordingly  they  met  at  a  stated  time, 
and  went  to  the  place  where  they  found  him  busily 
engaged  getting  out  rails.  They  requested  him  to 
leave  the  claim,  but  the  old  man  swore  positively  that 
he  would  do  no  such  thing.  One  of  the  settlers  pro- 
ceeded to  cut  a  long  hickory  gad,  and  the  powerful 
hand  that  had  wielded  the  same  persuasive  argument 
on  a  former  occasion,  was  again  called  into  requisition. 
After  about  a  dozen  blows  had  been  industriously 
applied  to  his  back  and  legs,  Carpenter  proposed  a 
brief  cessation  of  hostilities,  that  he  might  argue  the 


180  II I  S  T  O  K  Y    OF 


question  with  them.  -  The  request  was  complied  with, 
but  the  conversation  soon  waxed  warm,  and  the  hick- 
ory was  again  applied  with  redoubled  vigor.  This 
was  too  much  for  poor  human  nature  to  bear,  and 
Carpenter,  putting  every  power  of  pedestrianism  which 
he  had,  in  operation,  left  the  crowd  without  even  thank- 
ing them  for  this  first  practical  lesson  in  squatter  sov- 
reignty. 

"  This  effectually  settled  the  claim  difficulty,  al- 
though some  legal  proceedings  grew  out  of  the  affair. 

"  These  were  the  only  instances  where  personal  vio- 
lence was  employed  to  settle  claim  feuds.  Claim  pro- 
tecting societies  were  formed  similar  to  those  already 
noticed  in  another  part  of  this  book ;  agreements  were 
entered  into  to  deed  and  re-deed,  and  when  the  lands 
were  surveyed  and  came  into  market,  each  settler 
received  all  he  had  justly  claimed. 

"  The  first  school  in  this  town  was  started  in  1839, 
and  taught  by  Norman  G.  Hurd.  It  was  kept  in  the 
back  part  of  a  log  house,  owned  by  Mr.  Samuel  Curtis. 
This  was  a  private  enterprise,  and  by  shifting  from  one 
old  building  to  another,  the  school  was  kept  going  from 
five  to  six  months  during  the  year,  for  some  four  years. 

"  In  1844  a  school-house  -was  built,  and  is  yet  occu- 
pied by  the  district.  For  a  full  description  of  this 
building  we  refer  the  reader  to  a  report  of  Rev.  Hope 
Brown,  while  commissioner,  by  which  its  reputation 
suffered  some,  but  since  the  Reverend  gentleman  has 
left  the  county,  the  old  house  stands  fair. 

"  What  has  been  said  relates  more  particularly  to  the 
settlement  of  Downer's  grove  proper,  than  to  the  town- 
ship of  that  name,  for  the  reason  that  all,  excepting 


1)U    PAGE    COUNTY.  181 

live  or  six  sections  of  the  township,  was  upon  the  old 
Indian  survey,  and  not  subject  to  the  difficulties  which 
attended  the  settlement  of  the  unsurveyed  portion  of  it. 

"  It  may  be  said,  and  truthfully,  that,  in  a  moral  and 
physical  point  of  view,  the  inhabitants  of  this  town- 
ship stand  on  high  vantage  ground ;  and  yet  they  claim 
to  be  no  better,  and  no  smarter  than  their  neighbors. 
In  concluding  our  chapter  on  this  town,  we  propose  to 
sketch  some  of  the  incidents  and  practices,  more  com- 
mon at  an  early  day  than  now. 

"  Until  within  a  few  years,  this  part  of  the  county 
was  infested  with  wolves,  which  were  a  source  of  great 
annoyance  to  the  whole  community.  The  fanners, 
however,  were  the  principal  sufterers  by  their  depre- 
dations; for  sometimes  whole  flocks  were  destroyed 
and  scattered  by  them  in  a  single  nigftt.  To  rid  the 
country  of  these  mischievous  animals,  it  was  the  cus- 
tom for  all  who  were  able  to  "  bear  arms,"  to  rally 
once  every  year  for  a  wolf  hunt,  which  was  usually  a 
scene  of  much  amusement,  and  oftentimes  of  the 
most  intense  excitement.  These  expeditions  were  con- 
ducted in  various  ways.  The  general  hunt,  which  was 
perhaps  the  most  common,  was  conducted  upon  the 
following  plan : 

"  Notice  of  the  time  of  starting,  the  extent  of  coun- 
try to  be  traveled  over,  and  of  the  place  of  meeting, 
which  was  usually  at  the  common  centre  of  the  circle 
of  territory  to  be  traversed,  was  first  given  to  all  the 
participants  in  the  hunt.  At  an  early  hour  on  the 
morning  of  the  day  appointed,  the  hunters  assembled 
and  chose  a  captain  for  each  company,  whose  duty  it  was 
to  station  members  of  the  company  at  short  intervals 


182  JI I  8  T  O  R  Y    OF 


upon  the  circumference  of  the  circle  alluded  to,  and 
then  the  game  was  completely  surrounded.  At  a  given 
time  the  line  of  hunters  began  their  march,  and  when 
they  had  approached  near  enough  to  the  centre  to  close 
in  and  form  a  solid  line,  they  halted  and  remained  sta- 
tionary, while  the  captains  advanced  with  their  sharp 
shooters  to  ascertain  whether  any  game  had  been  sur- 
rounded. If  an  unlucky  wolf  or  deer  had  been  drawn 
into  the  snare,  upon  making  his  appearance  before  the 
lines,  he  was  sure  to  be  riddled  by  rifle  balls.  We 
have  been  informed  by  one  who  frequently  participated 
in  hunts  of  this  kind,  that  he  had  known  of  sixty 
wolves  and  as  many  deer  being  killed  in  one  day.  This 
mode  of  hunting  the  deer  seemed  altogether  too  cruel 
and  cowardly  in  the  eyes  of  some,  but  no  scruples 
were  entertained  in  thus  exterminating  the  mischiev- 
ous, thieving  wolves.  To' see  the  harmless  deer  penned 
up  with  no  chance  of  escaping,  darting  about  bewil- 
dered, with  eyes  almost  starting  from  their  sockets,  and 
then  to  see  them  slaughtered  in  the  manner  described, 
appeared  cruel  in  the  extreme.  The  mode  of  hunting 
wolves  adopted  by  the  settlers  at  Downer's  grove,  was 
different  from  that  described,  and  obviated  the  appear- 
ance of  cruelty  in  slaying  the  deer. 

"  The  wolf  hunt  was  a  source  of  amusement  in  this 
town  for  years,  and  whenever  a  wolf  dared  to  show 
his  head  above  the  prairie  grass,  the  boys  were  in- 
stantly in  pursuit  of  him.  The  pursuers  usually  went 
on  horseback,  carrying  in  the  hand  a  short  club,  and 
the  captain  of  the  company  was  the  one  who  had  the 
swiftest  horse.  The  plan  of  action  was  to  spread  out 
in  every  direction  and  scour  the  prairie  until  the  game 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  183 

was  started,  when  by  a  peculiar  yell,  tlie  whole  com- 
pany was  called  together  and  the  chase  commenced. 
Every  horse  was  now  put  to  his  utmost  speed,  and 
with  his  rider,  would  go  flying  over  the  prairie  like 
the  wind.  It  is  utterly  impossible  to  describe  the  wild 
excitement  that  attended  the  wolf  chase.  Generally 
a  race  of  from  three  to  five  miles  would  bring  Mr. 
Wolf  down ;  then,  the  day's  sport  would  be  ended, 
and  the  party  would  return  hdme  in  a  sort  of  triumphal 
procession,  bearing  the  fallen  hero.  Such  reckless, 
headlong  riding  was  attended  with  much  hazard,  and 
although  no  serious  accident  ever  happened  to  the 
riders,  yet  it  is  surmised  that  the  horses  might  have 
suffered  from  ring-bones  and  spavins  induced  by  undue 
speed. 

"  At  one  of  the  last  of  these  hunts  a  circumstance 
occurred  which  may  be  classed  with  the  serio-comic,  as 
it  at  first  assumed  a  serious  phase,  and  then,  as  circum- 
stances changed,  became  thoroughly  ludicrous.  On  a 
cold,  blustering  morning  in  January,  1846,  the  hoys 
(men)  started  out  for  a  hunt.  Wolves  were  becoming 
scarce,  and  the  party  wandered  off  some  five  or  six 
miles,  to  the  north  of  what  was  then  known  as  the 
Duzenberry  claim.  The  new  settlers  had  commenced 
fencing  their  lands,  and  at  several  places  before  coming 
to  this  claim  the  party  had  been  obliged  to  dismount 
and  remove  the  obstruction,  but  here  they  found  a 
ditch  fence,  which  terminated  at  a  great  distance  on 
the  open  prairie,  and  was  built  upon  the  supposition 
that  the  cattle  could  not,  or  would  not  go  around  it, 
consequently  there  was  no  fence  on  the  back  side. 

"  The  snow  had  drifted  very  deep  on  the  side  of  this 


I8i  HISTORY    OF 


fence  opposite  to  the  party,  and  although  their  horses 
had  been  trained  to  jumping,  yet  an  attempt  to  leap 
it  would  only  land  both  horse  and  rider  floundering 
in  a  deep  snow  bank. 

"  "While  holding  a  consultation  to  decide  upon  some 
method  of  surmounting  the  barrier,  a  wolf  started 
from  a  thicket  and  crossed  the  path  only  a  few  rods 
from  them.  Every  man  instantly  wheeled  into  line, 
and  as  quick  as  thought  darted  on  after  the  affrighted 
animal.  In  the  language  of  one  of  the  company,  'the 
wolf  was  a  large,  gaunt  old  chap,  and  promised -to 
give  us  a  long  pull  and  a  strong  pull.'  Gard  had 
a  fine  smart  little  pony,  that  would  run  like  the  wind, 
and  he  led  the  company.  The  chase  led  us  far  out 
into  the  prairie,  and  before  long  we  found  ourselves 
running  inside  of  the  fences  on  the  Duzenberry  claim, 
in  a  southerly  direction,  and  would  soon  have  to  clear 
one  of  the  ditch  fences.  There  were  fifteen  horsemen 
spread  out  in  a  line,  every  man  plying  the  whip  and 
spur,  and  every  horse  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  We 
came  to  the  fence,  which  the  wolf  cleared  about  two 
rods  in  advance  of  Gard,  and  as  he  came  up,  his  horse 
seeming  to  partake  of  the  general  excitement,  made  a 
bold  leap,  clearing  the  ditch  fence  in  fine  style ; 
but  unfortunately  landing  in  a  snow  bank,  the  horse 
stumbled  and  fell,  plunging  entirely  out  of  sight  —  at 
the  same  time  throwing  Gard  over  his  head  and  bury- 
ing him  beneath  the  snow.  To  the  party  in  the  rear 
it  appeared  as  though  the  earth  had  swallowed  up 
both  horse  and  rider,  as  the  fence  and  snow  partially 
concealed  the  scene  from  their  view.  Not  a  rider  at- 
tempted to  check  the  headlong  speed  of  his  horse  until 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  185 

he  had  cleared  the  fence.  Some  of  the  foremost  horses 
made  a  second  leap,  which  carried  them  completely 
over  the  prostrate  horse  of  the  first  rider.  The  first 
thought  was  for  Gard.  The  general  exclamation  was, 
'  lie  is  dead  !'  and  an  awful  gloom  sat  upon  the 
countenance  of  all.  While  thus  solemnly  ruminating 
upon  his  almost  inevitable  fate,  the  party  were  not  a 
little  astounded  at  beholding  him  rise,  Phoenix  like, 
from  his  bed  of  snow,  among  the  floundering  horses. 
Among  the  company  was  Alden  Stanley,  a  noble,  fine 
fellow,  (alas !  he  has  gone  to  his  long  home,)  who  was 
standing  by,  very  much  excited.  He  wore  a  buffalo 
coat,  made*  like  a  frock,  cut  off  at  the  knees.  Soon 
after  Gard  came  out  of  the  snow,  his  horse,  for  the  first 
time,  suddenly  made  his  appearance,  and  seemed  very 
much  irightened.  The  first  thing  that  attracted  his 
attention  was  Stanley's  buffalo  coat,  and  wheeling,  he 
kicked  at  it  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  carrying  away 
one  entire  skirt.  At  this  juncture  the  wolf  was  dis- 
covered about  a  mile  distant,  standing  upon  an  eleva- 
tion and  looking  back  over  his  shoulder.  .  Taking  it 
all  in  all,  this  was  one  of  the  most  laughable  farces  I 
ever  witnessed,  passing,  as  it  did,  from  one  extreme  of 
feeling  to  another,  and  so  suddenly  too,  that  none 
knew  whether  to  laugh  or  cry  until  we  were  just 
ready  to  remount  and  resume  the  chase,  when  it  was 
first  discovered  by  Stanley  that  he  had  lost  one  ol  his 
coat  skirts.  The  attention  of  the  company  was  drawn 
to  the  fact  by  Stanley's  remarking  that  some  of  his 
comrades  had  dressed  their  sheep  skin ;  and  this 
brought  down  the  house  with  a  loud  roar.  After 
mounting  their  horses,  the  company  started  again, 


186  HISTOKY     OF 


jehu-like,  in  pursuit  of  the  wolf;  and  within  five 
minutes  from  the  time  of  the  new  start  Jtfr.  Wolf  had 
surrendered  unconditionally  to  superior  force.  I  think 
the  wolves  even,  were  superstitious  about  the  Downer's 
Grove  boys,  and  made  it  a  practice  to  give  up  at  once 
when  they  were  on  their  track.  Many  of  the  boys  are 
still  living,  and  reside  at  or  near  the  grove.  Of  these 
may  be  mentioned  Hon.  W.  Blanchard,  D.  C.  Stanley, 
John  Stanley,  L.  Stanley,  Emerson  Stanley,  Charles 
Curtis,  E.  E.  Downer.  Ah,  when  we  come  to  call 
the  roll,  there  are  more  missing  than  we  thought  for. 
And  now  where  are  they  ?  "Well,  the  Adamses  are  in 
California,  the  Curtises  are  at  Wheaton,  Henry  Blod- 
gett  is  an  attorney  at  Waukegan,  Israel  Elodgett  is  in 
California,  Daniel  has  gone  to  his  last  resting  place, 
Asel  is  in  railroad  business,  and — and  —  in  fact,  there 
are  not  as  many  left  as  I  thought  there  were ;  but  there 
are  yet  enough  to  get  up  a  good  game  of  ball  now  and 
then." 

There  are  four  societies  of  Protestants  and  one  of 
Catholics  in  the  town.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  so- 
ciety was  the  first  to  establish  preaching  at  the  Grove, 
which  was  as  early  as  1839.  Father  Ged,  as  he  was 
called — an  itinerant  preacher  of  that  denomination — 
used  to  come  across  the  prairies  on  foot  from  Barber's 
Corners,  with  undeviating  regularity,  to  preach  to  the 
people  here.  The  adverse  changes  of  the  weather 
made  no  difference  with  him ;  and  wherever  he  had 
an  appointment  he  was  sure  to  meet  it,  in  spite  of  heat 
or  cold,  wind  or  rain.  Nothing  but  a  sincere  desire 
to  do  good  could  have  induced  him  to  undergo,  volun- 
tarily, the  hardships  to  which  his  itinerancy  subjected 


I)U     PAGE     COUNTY.  187 

him.  He  succeeded  in  forming  a  small  society  at  the 
Grove,  where  preaching  has  been  regularly  sustained ; 
and  the  infant  church  has  grown  to  be  quite  numerous. 
This  society  has  a  good  meeting  house,  which  was 
built  in  1852.  We  give  some  statistics  relating  to  this 
church.  The  society  was  regularly  organized  in  June, 
1851,  by  Rev.  Mr.  Grundy,  with  the  following  named 
members :  J.  P.  Cotes,  Mary  0.  Cotes,  Nancy  E. 
Cotes,  Norman  G.  Hurd,  'Antoinette  Hnrd,  Eliza 
Bakeinan,  Anne  Page,  Lester  Hunt,  and  Dorcas 
Hunt. 

PASTORS : 

Rev.  Stephen  R.  Beggs,  served  one  year. 
Rev.  S.  Stover,  served  two  years. 
Rev.  H.  S.  Trumbull,  served  two  years. 
Rev.  S.  Washburn,  present  pastor. 

Hie  whole  number  of  members  on  record  is  thirty- 
six.  The  number  of  Sabbath  school  scholars  is  eighty- 
five;  and  the  number  of  volumes  in  the  library  is 
three  hundred. 

The  Methodists  have  another  society  and  church  in 
that  division  of  the  south  part  of  this  township  called 
Cass.  The  first  effort  towards  organizing  the  church 
at  Cass,  was  made  by  the  Rev.  Elihu  Springer,  in 
1834. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  the  subsequent  pas- 
tors, as  near  as  ascertained : 

Rev.  Mr.  Blackwell,  Rev.  Mr.  Jenks, 


1    Wilder, 
"    Martin, 
John  Xason, 
0.  A.  Walker, 
Nathan  Jewett, 
J.  M.  Hiuman, 


S  Stover, 
L.  R.  Ellis, 
J.  R.  Wood, 
George  Reack, 
W.  A.  Chambers, 
John  Grundy, 


188  II  I  S  T  O  K  Y     O  F 


Rev.  M.  Hanna,  Rev.  H.  S.  Trumbull, 

"     S.  Stover,  "     S.  Washburn,  present  pastor. 

"    -Mr.  Wilcox,  "     J  W.  Agard,  Presiding  Elder. 

The  original  members  of  this  church  were  Hart  L. 
Cobb,  Betsey  Cobb,  George  Jackson,  Louisa  Hill,  and 
John  Covely.  There  are  now  twenty  members  of  the 
society,  forty  members  of  the  Sabbath  school,  and 
three  hundred  volumes  in  the  library. 

A  society  of  Congregationalists  was  organized  in 
this  town  in  March,  1837,  by  the  Rev.  N.  C.  Clark. 
The  first  members  were  G.  E.  Parmalee,  John  A. 
Richards,  Dexter  Stanley,  Henry  Puffer,  Nancy  Stan- 
ley, Susan  S.  Parmalee,  Lucia  Puffer,  Elizabeth  M. 
Puffer,  and  Hannah  P.  Puffer.  The  pastors  in  regu- 
lar succession,  have  been : 

Rev,  Orange  Lyman,  Rev.  Alanson  Alvord, 

"      Romulus  Barnes,  "      Francis  Leonard. 

Rev.  George  Langdon. 

The  number  of  members,  and  other  information  re- 
specting this  church,  we  have  been  unable  to  obtain. 

The  Baptist  Church  was  organized  under  the  labors 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Holt,  in  1853,  with  about  thirty  mem- 
bers. Among  the  most  active  members  in  forming 
this  society  were  Edward  Goodenough,  Albin  Lull,  and 
Norman  Gilbert.  The  same  year  it  was  organized, 
the  society  erected  a  church  edifice,  which  was  an 
honor  to  those  who  projected  and  carried  out  the  en- 
terprise. No  further  particulars  respecting  this  church 
have  been  obtained. 

The  Catholics  have  a  church  and  society  at  Cass, 
called  the  church  of  St.  Patrick.  A  house  of  worship 
was  erected  in  February,  1846,  and  the  society  at  that 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY. 


189 


time  numbered  thirty-four.  The  following  table  will 
show  who  have  been  its  pastors,  and  also  the  number 
of  members  at  different  periods  since  its  organization  : 


1846  — Rev.  John  Ingoldsby, 


Pastor. — No.  of  members,  34 
37 
40 
39 
41 
44 
47 


1848—  Dennis  Ryan, 

1851—      '     Michael  O'Donnell,  "  "  " 

1853 —  James  Fitzgerald,  "  "  " 

1854  —  James  McGowan,  "  "  " 

Feb.  1856—  John  McGloflen,  "  "  " 

Nov.  1856—  Michael  Harley,  "  "  " 

1857 —  Nicholas  Mulvey,  present  pastor. 

The  population  of  Downer's  Grove  at  this  time  is 
about  1,200.  The  people  are  chiefly  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and. hence  the  town  contains  no  vil- 
lages of  much  importance.  Near  the  north  east  part 
of  the  town  there  is  quite  a  smart  little  "huddle," 
generally  known  as  Brush  Hill ;  but  at  present  we 
believe  it  is  dignified  by  the  title  of  Fullersburg.  The 
first  settlement  at  Fullersburg  was  made  by  Orente 
Grant,  in  1836. 

There  is  another  settlement  at  Lower  C  ass,  in  the 
south  part  of  the  town,  on  the  Chicago  and  Joliet  road. 
The  first  settlers  here  were  Albin  Lull,  Dr.  Bronson, 
Hart  L.  Cobb,  Thomas  Andrus,  and  II.  Martin.  Of 
this  settlement  it  may  be  said  that  its  inhabitants  are 
an  industrious,  enterprising,  "good  set  of  folks,"  —  a 
high  compliment  to  pay  to  any  community. 

The  original  fund  derived  from  the  sale  of  the  school 
lands  was  $800.  It  has  been  increased  by  interest, 
and  is  now  $1,063  72. 

The  amount  paid  to  teachers  in  1856  was  $1,048  98. 
The  number  of  school  districts  in  the  town  is  nine. 
The  highest  rate  of  compensation  paid  to  teachers  is 


190  HISTORY    OF 


$25  per  month.  The  average  number  who  attend 
school  is  about  500  ;  and  the  average  number  of 
months  in  the  year,  in  which  schools  are  taught,  is 
eight.  The  average  monthly  compensation  of  female 
teachers  has  been  about  fourteen  dollars. 

Names  of  town  officers  for  the  town  of  Downer's 
Grove  since  its  organization,  in  1850 : 
SUPERVISORS  : 

1850  —  L.  K.  Hatch,  1854  —  G.  W.  Alderman. 

1851  —  Walter  Blanchard,  1855  —  Walter  Blanchard. 

1852—  "  1856  — S.  F.  Daniels. 

1853—  "  1857  — S.DeGolyer. 


TOWN  CLERKS  t 

1850  —  A.  Havens.  1854 — A*  Havens. 

1861—         "  1855— C.  H.  Carpenter. 

1852—  "  1856— G.  S.  Rogers. 

1853—  "  1857  —  W.  H.  Dixon. 


ASSESSORS  : 

1850  —  0.  B.  Herrick.  1854  — Lyman  Clifford. 

1851— George  Barber.  1855—  " 

1852—  "  1856—     " 

1853—  "  1857— A.  H.  Blodgett. 


COLLECTORS : 

1 850  —  Peter  Warden.  1 854  —  M.  Walton. 

1851  —  G.  Paige.  1855  —  E.  H.  Gleason. 

1852  — H.  L.  Cobb.  1856—          '" 

1853  —  E.  H.  Gleason.  1857 — George  Wheeler. 


OVERSEERS  OF   POOR  I 

1 850  --  Albin  Lull.  ]  854  —  Daniel  Roberts. 

1851—  "  1855—  " 

1852—  .1.  Blodgett.  1856  — John  Oldfield. 

1853—  "  1857—  " 


BU    PAGE    COUNTY.  191 

COMMISSIONERS  OF  HIGHWAYS: 

1850  —  Silas  Culver,  W.  Lutiens,  1854  —  J.  Craigmile,  H.  Lyon,  B. 

L.  M.  Lull.  Fuller. 

1851—  John  Marvin,  A.  H.Blod-  1855— J.   Craigmile,  M.  Duello, 

gett,  G.  Gilbert.  M  Sucher. 

1852 — E.   Thatcher,  K.  Martin,  1856  —  A.  G.  Cobb,  H.   Lyman, 

H.  Andrews.  M.  Sucher. 

1853  —A.  Lull,  E.  Thatcher,  G.  1857  —W.  H.  Clark,  J.  Oldfield, 

Paige.  G.  Prescott. 


JUSTICES    OF   THE   PEACE  : 
I860  — John   Mareell,    Benjamin     1857  —  M.  B.  Tirtlot,  S.  J.  Ack 

Fuller.  ley. 

1851—  S.  F.  Daniels. 


CONSTABLES : 

1850  — Peter    Warden,    Joseph     1854— S.    W.    Franklin,  Luther 

Boyd.  Couch. 

1851  — Milton  Barr,  Peter  Bra-     1855  — E   Gleason. 

man.  1856— T.  0.  Roberts 

1853— S.  W.  Franklin. 


192  HISTOKYOF 


HISTOKY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  YOKK. 


are  unable  to  give  as  complete  a  history  of  this 
town  as  we  could  desire,  although  we  have  tried  faith- 
fully to  obtain  the  necessary  information  to  do  so. 
"We  cannot  but  believe  that  there  are  many  incidents 
connected  with  its  early  settlement  that  would,  to  say 
the  least,  be  of  interest  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town- 
ship, if  not  to  the  general  reader,  notwithstanding 
the  contrary  opinion,  which  prevails  among  the  early 
settlers. 

York  was  first  settled  in  the  spring  of  183-1,  by 
Elisha  Fish.  His  claim  was  on  the  south  east  quarter 
of  section  thirty-five,  where  his  widow  still  lives.  The 
next  who  came  in  was  Henry  Reader,  who  settled  in 

1835,  on  the  south  west  quarter  of  section  thirty-five. 
Luther  Morton  settled  soon  after  on  section  seven ; 
Benjamin  Fuller   on  section  twenty-five;    Nicholas 
Torode,  sen.,  on  section  twenty-seven ;    and  in  April, 

1836,  John  Talmadge  removed  to  this  town  from 
Brush  Hill,  where  he  had  lived  since  1834,  and  set- 
tled on  the  south  east  quarter  of  section  twenty-three. 
In  May,  1836,  there  were  several  families  added  to 
the  settlement.     Among  these  were  the  families  of 
Jesse   Atwater,   Edward  Eldridge,   and  David  Tal- 
madge.    In  July  of  the  same  year,  the  settlement  was 
increased  by  the  families  of  Jacob  W.  Fuller  and 
David  Thurston.     In  1837,  Sheldon  Peek,  W.  Chur- 
chill, Zerais  Cobb,  John  Glos  and   John  Bohlander 


DU    PAGE    COUNTY.  193 


came  in  and  settled  on  what  is  now  called  the  St. 
Charles  road.  John  Thrasher  came  in  about  the  same 
time,  and  settled  on  section  thirty.  The  first  settlers 
of  this  town  were  preeminently  fitted  to  endure  the 
trials  incident  to  frontier  life.  They  were  "  made  of 
the  right  sort  of  stuff,"  and  advanced  boldly  with  the 
standard  of  civilization,  regardless  of  danger,  and 
knowing  no  dread  of  hardships.  Many  of  them  had 
been  brought  up  on  the  borders  of  civilization,  and 
were  thoroughly  inured  to  all  the  privations  of  pioneer 
life.  Perhaps  no  town  in  this  county  can  justly  claim 
to  itself  a  more  hardy,  daring  class  of  pioneers.'  John 
Talmadge,  whose  name  has  already  been  mentioned 
among  the  early  settlers  of  this  town,  was  for  several 
years  a  soldier  in  the  U.  S.  army.  In  that  capacity 
he  was  in  the  service  of  his  country  during  the  war 
of  1812,  and  in  several  battles  fought  valiantly  under 
our  national  banner.  Although  his  head  is  now 
"  silvered  o'er  with  age,"  yet  that  quenchless  spirit  of 
patriotism  which  fired  his  youth  still  glows  within  his 
breast  and  flashes  from  his  fading  eye. 

This  township  contains  thirty-six  square  miles  of 
land,  and  has  a  soil,  cultivation,  vales,  fields,  land- 
scapes and  scenery,  which  would  not  suffer  in  com- 
parison with  many  sections  of  country  more  widely 
and  favorably  known.  It  affords  an  agreeable  variety 
of  surface  and  soil,  well  adapted  to  the  wants  of  the 
husbandman,  and,  with  proper  cultivation,  yields  him 
most  bountiful  harvests  for  the  support  of  the  multi- 
tudes dependent  upon  his  industry. 

The   principal   stream  is   Salt  creek,  which  runs 
through  the  town  from  north  to  south. 
9 


194  HISTORY    OF 


Most  of  the  first  settlers  were  originally  from  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  when  the  inhabitants  were 
called  upon  to  give  a  name  to  their  precinct,  that  of 
York  was  selected  with  but  few  dissenting  voices. 

The  manufactures  of  this  town  are  unimportant.  A 
steam  flouring  mill  is  now  in  operation  at  Brush  Hill, 
owned  by  F.  Gray.  This  mill  has  two  run  of  stones, 
and  is  the  only  manufactory  of  much  importance  in 
the  town.  The  Galena  railroad  runs  through  the 
town,  and  upon  it  two  young  and  thriving  villages 
have  sprung  up,  like  Minerva  from  the  brain  of  Jove, 
full  armed  and  ready  for  effective  service.  These  are 
at  Cottage  Hill  and  at  Babcock's  Grove. 

"  The  village  of  Cottage  Hill  is  pleasantly  situated 
on  the  line  of  the  Galena  and  Chicago  Union  Railroad, 
sixteen  miles  west  from  Chicago.  The  first  settler 
here  was  J.  L.  Hovey,  who  came  from  Painesville, 
Ohio.  He  built  a  small  house  in  1843,  which  he  kept 
as  a  hotel,  it  being  favorably  known  by  the  farmers  of 
the  Fox  and  Rock  river  counties,"  who  then  teamed 
their  own  produce  to  Chicago,  as  the  '  Hill  Cottage.' 
The  '  Hill '  proper  lies  half  a  mile  from  the  railroad, 
and  commands  as  fine  a  prospect  of  prairie,  cultivated 
farms,  groves,  cottages,  and  railroad  trains,  as  one 
could  desire  to  behold.  This  place  -being  but  15  1-2 
miles  from  the  centre  of  business  in  Chicago ;  having 
good  water,  pure  air,  and  railroad  trains  hourly  pass- 
ing —  all  of  winch  stop  here  —  must  soon  become 
known  to  those  who  would  find  for  themselves  and 
families,  at  a  convenient  distance  from  the  city,  a  re- 
treat from  the  noise  and  dust  of  its  hot  and  crowded 
streets." 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  195 


The  railroad  was  completed  to  this  place  in  1849, 
since  which  time  the  village  has  been  chiefly  built 
up.  It  now  contains  one  hotel,  five  stores,  several 
manufacturing  establishments,  a  railroad  passenger 
house,  some  thirty  or  forty  dwellings,  and  about  200 
inhabitants.  A  fine  edifice  is  now  in  process  of  erec- 
tion, to  be  used  as  a  church  and  school  house.  There 
is  no  other  church  building  in  the  town,  although 
there  are  several  organized  religious  societies,  which 
hold  their  meetings  in  the  school  houses  in  different 
parts  of  the  town. 

Babcock's  Grove  is  a  pleasant  village,  of  some  200 
inhabitants,  situated  about  five  miles  west  of  Cottage 
Hill,  on  the  Galena  road.  It  is  an  active,  business- 
like place,  and  promises  to  become  a  town  of  consider- 
able importance.  It  has  a  good  hotel,  several  stores, 
and  a  number  of  fine  residences. 

The  present  population  of  the  town  of  York  is  not 
far  from  1500.  The  Germans  have  settled  pretty 
thickly  in  some  parts  of  the  town,  and  among  them 
may  be  found  some  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  county. 
They  are  frugal,  industrious,  and  honest,  as  a  class, 
and  manage  their  farms  with  superior  agricultural 
skill. 

There  are  three  post  offices  in  the  town.  George 
Fuller  is  post  master  at  York  Centre,  Jerry  Bates  at 
Cottage  Hill,  and  J.  B.  Hull  at  Babcock's  Grove. 

York  has  the  largest  school  fund  of  any  town  in  DTI 
PAGE  county.  The  school  section  was  sold  at  five  dol- 
lars per  acre,  creating  an  original  fund  of  $3,200.  It 
is  now  near  $3,500.  The  highest  rate  of  compensation 
paid  to  teachers  is  $25  per  month ;  the  lowest  is  $10 


196 


HISTORY    OF 


per  month.  The  amount  paid  for  teachers'  wages 
amounts  to  about  $800  annually.  There  are  eight 
public  schools  taught  in  the  township,  which  are  at- 
tended by  400  scholars.  The  average  number  of 
months  in  the  year  in  which  schools  are  taught  is 
eight,  and  the  average  number  of  scholars  in  each 
school  is  forty. 

We  would  here  remark  that  the  sources  from  which 
we  have  obtained  the  statistics  relating  to  this  town 
have  not  been  the  most  reliable,  and  if  we  find  errors 
have  occurred,  it  will  not  be  to  us  a  matter  of  very 
great  surprise. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  officers  for  the  town  of 
York  since  its  organization  in  1850. 
SUPEEVISOES. 

1850 — Edward  Eldridge,  1853 — Hiram    Whittemore,    ap- 
Gerry  Bates,  appointed  to  pointed  to  fill  vacancy. 

fill  vacancy.  1854 — Asa  Knapp. 

1851  —  Gerry  Bates.  1855  —Robert  Reed. 

1852— Gerry  Bates.  1856— Robert  Reed. 

1 858  —  Webster  Burbanks.  1857  — Frederick  Gray. 


1850- 


TOWN   CLERKS 

•  Allen  M.  Wright,  1853- 

Charles  Mather,  appointed  1854- 

to  fill  vacancy.  1855  - 

1851  —  Peter  R.  Torode.  1856  - 

1852  —Peter  R.  Torode.  1857  - 


ASSESSORS. 

1850  —  George  Fuller.  1853  • 

1851  —  John  Talmadge.  1854  - 

1852  —  Webster  Burbanks,  1855  • 

P.  R.  Torode,  appointed  to     1856  • 
fill  vacancy.  1857- 


Adam  Glos. 
Adam  Glos. 
Adam  Glos. 
Adam  Glos. 
•  Adam  Glos. 


•  James  A.  E.  Barras. 

•  Orrin  Newell. 

•  George  Fuller. 

•  George  Fuller. 

•  George  Fuller. 


DU    PAGE     COUNTY.  197 

COLLECTORS. 

1850 — Adam  Gloa.  1854 — Ansel  Bates. 

1851  — Adam  Gloa.  1855  —  Lewis  Eldridge. 

1852 — Benjamin  Plummer.  1856  —  Lewis  Eldridge. 

1853— David  Fuller.  1857— Lewis  Eldridge. 


OVERSEERS  OF   POOR. 

1850  —  Robert  Reed.  1854  —  Layton  Collar. 

1851  —  Burgess  Austin.  1855  —  John  Thrasher. 

1852  —  Burgess  Austin.  1856  —  John  Thrasher. 

1853  —  Asa  Knapp.  1857  —  John  Thrasher. 


COMMISSIONERS   OF   HIGHWAYS. 

1850 — James  L.  Snow,  1854 — Lewis  Wood, 

John  Thrasher,  John  B.  Bohlander, 

•     Reuben  Mink.  E.  A.  Hall, 

1851  —  Asa  Knapp,  George  Fuller,  appointed 

John  Thrasher.  to  fill  vacancy. 

Frederick  Gray.  1855 — Lewis  Wood, 

1852— Lewis  Wood.  John  P.  Bohlander, 

Samuel  Loy.  Warren  Kittell. 

Frederick  Gray.  1856 — Milo  Porter, 

1853  —  George  Fuller,  John  Norbury, 

Hiram  Whittemore,  Warren  Kittell. 

Frederick  Gray,  1857 — William  Boyer, 

G.  H.  Atwater,  appointed  John  Norbury, 

to  fill  vacancy.  Warren  Kittell. 


JUSTICES  OF   THE   PEACE. 

1850  —  David  Thurston.  1855  — Thomas  Filer,  elected  to 

Orson  D.  Richards.  fill  vacancy. 

1852 — Cyrenus  Litchfield,  elected  1856 — John  Thrasher,  elected  to 

to  fill  vacancy.  fill  vacancy. . 

1854  —  Cyrenus  Litchfield.  1857  —Milo  Porter,  elected  to  fill 

Moses  Gray.  vacancv. 


198  HISTORY    OF 


CONSTABLES. 

1850  —  David  Fuller.  1855  —  John  Norbury, 

C.  W.  Richardson.  John  G.  Kleiuschrot. 

1853  —  D.   Mono,  elected  to  fill     1856  —  Lewis  Eldridge,  elected  to 

vacancy.  till  vacancy. 

1854  —  John  Norbury,  elected  to 

fill  vacancy. 


SUMMARY. 

Dtr  PAGE  County  was  first  settled  by  the  whites  in 
1830.  It  was  surveyed  in  18  — ;  was  separated  from 
Cook  county,  of  which  it  previously  formed  a  part,  and 
became"  a  distinct  organization  by  act  of  legislature, 
approved  February  9th,  1839.  By  the  census  of  1850, 
its  population  was  12,807 ;  and  assuming  a  uniform 
ratio  of  increase  drawn  from  the  census  of  preceding 
years,  it  is  now  nearly  15,000.  It  has  3,000  dwellings  ; 
2,850  families  ;  10  villages ;  7  different  religious  denom- 
inations ;  22  churches ;  3,150  communicants ;  2,250 
children  and  youth  who  attend  Sabbath  school.  The 
following  is  a  list  of  the  post  offices  in  the  county  : 

PLACE.  NAME  OF  P.    H. 

Naperville Robert  Naper, 

Big  Woods,  (Naperville) John  Warne, 

Addison Henry  Bartling, 

Sagone S.  D.  Pierce, 

York  Center George  Fuller, 

Cottage  Hill  (York) Gerry  Bates. 

Babcock's  Grove  (York). J.  B.  Hull, 

Bonaparte H.  Dodge, 

Downer's  Grove 

Warrenville  ( Winfield) Col.  J.  If.  Warren, 

Winfield,  Andrew  Van  Deusen, 

Turner,  "          


DU    PAGE    COUNTY. 


199 


PLACE.  NAME   OF   P.    M. 

Wheaton  (Milton) C.  K.  W.  Howard, 

Danby,  "       David  Kelly, 

Wayne S.  Dunham, 

Wayne  Center Albert  Guild, 

Lisle John  .Thompson, 

Brush  Hill B.  Fuller, 

Cass  (Downer's  Grove) G.  W.  Alderman, 

Bloomingdale Hiram  Cody, 

There  are  eighteen  miles  of  railroad  in  this  county, 
upon  which  seven  enterprising  villages  are  situated. 
We  give  a  statement  of  freight  handled  at  the  several 
stations,  in  pounds,  and  also  the  amount  of  cash  re- 
ceipts for  freight. 


STATIONS. 

FREIGHT. 

RECEIPTS. 

Cottage  Hill  

4,275  680 

§3  605  23 

Babcock's  Grove  

2,107  700 

1  404  63 

2  234  660 

2  728  92 

Wheaton  

7,544  220 

5,880  26 

Winfield  

4,671,820 

3,036  25 

5,480  820 

7,164  47 

1  900  760 

1  633  81 

The  statement  in  another  part  of  the  book,  that. 
"Winfield  forwards  the  greatest  amount  of  freight  is 
incorrect,  as  it  appears  by  the  last  report  of  the 
G.  &  C.  U.  Railroad  Company,  that  less  tonnage 
goes  from  that  station,  than  from  Cottage  Hill  or 
Junction. 


With  the  above  brief  summary  our  history  is  ended. 
Enough  has  been  said  to  give,  as  we  believe,  a  pretty 
correct  view  of  the  past  and  present  condition  of  Du 
PAGE  County.  If  by  this  compilation  anything  is 
rescued  from  oblivion  that  will  be  of  consequence 


IIISTOUrtf    OF 


to  our  future  historian,  the  authors  are  satisfied  ;  and 
if  the  work  is  received  with  satisfaction  among  those 
early  settlers,  within  whose  early  recollection  all  the 
incidents  herein  detailed  have  transpired,  they  will 
feel  doubly  rewarded  for  their  labors. 

While  writing  these  concluding  remarks,  news  has 
reached  us  of  the  death  of  Eli  Northam,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  eighty-seven  years.  He  was  an  early 
settler  in  the  south  part  of  this  county,  and  among 
the  foremost  in  establishing  and  sustaining  our  first 
Christian  church.  It  is  fitting  to  insert  here  the  fol- 
lowing brief  tribute  to  his  memory  which  is  taken 
from  The  Chicago  Democratic  Press : 

"Deacon  NOETHAM  was  one  of  the  few  men  who 
merited,  in  all  respects,  the  tribute  paid  by  Luke  to 
Barnabas,  'He  was  a  good  man.''  Twenty  years  ago 
when  a  student  in  Williamstown,  Mass.,  we  well  re- 
member that  he  always  impressed  us  with  the  highest 
reverence  for  his  character,  as  a  most  worthy  represen- 
tative of  the  honest,  dignified,  noble  Puritans.  For 
many  years  he  had  been  fully  prepared  to  leave  ,all 
things  here  below,  and  go  to  dwell  at  the  right  hand 
of  his  Savior. 

"  '  His  youth  was  innocent;  his  riper  age 

Marked  with  some  act  of  goodness  every  day ; 

And  watched  by  eyes  that  loved  him,  calm,  and  sage 
Faded  his  last  declining  years  away ; 

Cheerful  he  gave  his  being  up,  and  went 

To  share  the  holy  rest,  that  waits  a  life  well  spent.'" 

In  conclusion  we  acknowledge  our  appreciation  of 
the  uniform  kindness  and  assistance  which  we  have 
received  in  gathering  the  material  for  this  work. 


ERRATA. 


Page    8,  second  line  from  bottom,  for  "  were  "  read  was. 
Page  10,  twelfth  and  thirteenth  lines  from  top,  for  "  were  "  read  was. 
Page  18,  for  "redoutable"  read  redoubtable. 
Page  69,  in  the  table,  for  "Wells  and  Grant"  read  Pierce  Downer. 
Page  71,  thirteenth  line  from  top,  for  "are"  read  is. 
Other  errors  of  a  similar  character  occur,  but  as  they  will  not  be  likely 
to  mislead  the  reader,  it  is  deemed  unnecessary  to  point  them  out. 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

PIONEER  REMINISCENCES,  -  -  5 

First  settlement  in  Du  Page  County,  6 

Naper  Settlement,  -  7 

First  settlers,  -  7 

Black  Hawk  war,  •  -  -  8 

Fort  Dearborn,  -  9 

Flight  of  families  to  Fort  Dearborn,  -  9 

Paine  family,  -  -  9 

Hobson  family,  .•'.'  -  -  10 

The  Patrol  "hoaxed,"  15 

Visit  to  Potawattomies,  *-..  -  16 

The  alarmed  camp,  -  •.*,„  18 

Flight  of  settlers,  -  18 

Captain  Brown's  scouting  party,  -  -  ,  •  19 

Massacre  at  Indian  Creek,  •  '  -  . '  -  -  20 

The  Murder  of  Paine  the  Preacher,  22 

Scott  families,  -  23 

Expedition  under  Col.  Beaubien,  -  23 

Fort  Paine,  -  -  29 

Murder  of  young  Buckley  by  the  Indians,  -  -  29 
Captain  Naper  and  Alanson  Sweet  are  deceived  by  appearances,  30 

The  scouting  party,  -  .  31 

"  White  Eagle,"  -  33 

The  Great  Spirit  and  Tobacco,  35 

llobson  and  Strong,  -  -  36 

Condition  of  families  at  Fort  Dearborn,  -  -  37 

A  Gentleman  missing,  -  -  38 

Gen.  Scott's  army,  -  -  .38 

THE  OLD  CLAIM  FEUDS,  -  -  39 

Land  Pirate  Company,  -  41 

Big  Woods  claim  protecting  society,  -  -  42 

Society  for  mutual  protection,  -  46 

The  Frothingham  claim  difficulty,  -  -  -  53 


204:  INDEX. 

PACK. 

The  Tullis  claim  difficulty,    -  65 

The  Hognatorial  Council,            -  :  *            -     67 

GENERAL  VIEW  OP  THE  COUNTY,  -                                     -          69 

Face  of  the  county,  etc.,             -  -    60 

Products  of  cultivation,         -  -            -            -                        61 

Du  Page  County  Agricultural  Society,   -  -    61 

Education,  schools  and  academies,  62 

Health,  -     65 

The  County  Press,     -  65 

Organization  of  the  County,        -  -            -                         -    70 

Courts.                        -  -             -                          .74 

Murder  of  Patrick  Tole,  -    75 

Members  of  State  Legislature,  76 

List  of  county  officers,    -            •  -            •-          -            -76 

HISTORY  OF  MILTON,    -  -                                  81 

Illinois  Institute,             -  -            -            -            -    83 

Danby,  .                                                85 

Town  officers  of  Milton,  -     86 

HISTORY  OF  NAPERVILLE,         -  88 

History  of  first  efforts  towards  establishing  a  church,      -  -     97 

Schools,        -  105 

Naperville  Academy,      -  -            -            -            -  106 

Town  officers,.  -        110 

HISTOKY  OF  LISLE,  \  t                                   -  113 

Character  of  people,              -  114 

How  they  fared  in  early  times,  -                         -            -  115 

Story  of  Mr.  Hobson's  family,  -            -        116 

List  of  town  officers,       -            -  -                         -            -  133 

HISTORY  OF  BLOOMINGDALE,     -  135 

The  Kent  tragedy,  -137 

Churches  of  Bloomingdale,  -            -            -            -        143 

List  of  town  officers,       -  •               145 

HISTORY  OF  ADDISON,  ;           -                    147 

List  of  town  officers  of  Addison,  ....  150 

HISTORY  OF  WINFIELD,  -                        -                     158 

"Warrenville,       -                        -  .  158 
Deacon  McConnell's  account  of  Turner,         ...        162" 

Winfield  Station,  ,    .            -            -162 

Town  officers  of  Winfield,  "-  -        167 

HISTORY  OF  WAYNE,  169 


INDEX.  205 

PAGR. 

List  of  town  officers  of  Wayne,          -                                     -  173 

HISTORY  ov  DOWNER'S  GROVE,       -  -  175 

First  claim  difficulty,              ...  175 

Trouble  about  Aldrich's  claim,  -  179 

First  School,                                                                             -  180 

Wolf  hunting,     -  -  181 

Description  of  a  wolf  hunt,                 -  182 
History  of  churches,        ......  186 

List  of  town  officers,               -            -                     '    -            -  190 

HISTORY  OF  THE  TOWN  OF  YORK,             -           -           -  -192 

Cottage  Hill,     '                    -            -            .                         .  ,  194 

Babcock's  Grove,           •           •            -           -           -  -  195 

List  of  town  officers,             •  196 

SUMMARY,              •           •            -                       •            .  •   198 


A  D  V  E  K  T  I  S  E  M  E  N  T  S  . 


207 


ANDREW  FRIDLEY, 


DEALER    IN 


NAILS,    GLASS,    COPPER, 

It 

CTTTLEBY,  AND 

NAPERVILLE,  ILL/ 

W.  P.  KEITH  &  CO., 

DEALERS   IN    ALL   KINDS   OF 

GROCERIES  AND  PROVISIONS 

FRUITS   AND  FISH, 

YANKEE  NOTIONS,  CONFECTIONARY,  ETC. 

2,  ILL. 


JOHN  COLLINS, 


Keeps  constantly  on  hand,  at  his  yards  at  WINFIELD  STATION, 
and  at  NAPERVILLE,  the  largest  and  best  assortment  of  Lumber  to 
be  found  West  of  Chicago,  which  he  sells  at  prices  that  leave  competi- 
tion entirely  out  of  the  question. 

Having  in  his  employ  a  large  number  of  experienced  •workmen,  he  is 
prepared  to  do  all  kinds  of  Building  reasonably,  expeditiously  and 
satisfactorily. 

NAPERVILLE,  ILL. 


208 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


SKINNER,  HAIGHT  &  CO., 


GENERAL   DEALERS   IN 


BOOTS  AND  SHOES,  HATS  AND  CAPS, 


I 

CROCKERY, 


WHOLESALE  DEALERS  IN  WOOL  AND  SHEEP  PELTS. 


STORE, 
STREET,    IVAPERVILLE,    IL¥,. 

S.  M.  SKINNER,  C.  D.  HAIGHT,  R.  N.  DAVIS. 

NEW  YORK  CHEAP  STORE. 
CASTLE  &,  NAPER, 


DEALERS    IN 


OROCERIES, 

HARDWARE,  CROCKERY,  GLASSWARE, 

BOOTS  AND  SHOES,  HATS  AND  CAPS, 


S*   UUCILIjIWIER,-^    C3-OO3DS,    HOSIERY, 

CARPETS,  MATTING,  LOOKING  GLASSES, 
PAPEE  HANGINGS,  WOOD  AND  WILLOW  WARE,  Etc. 

We  are  agents  for,  and  keep  constantly  on  hand,  Naper's  celebrated 
premium  FLOUR  —  warranted  the  best  in  market. 
All  kinds  of  Produce  taken  in  exchange  for  Goods. 

C.  M.  CASTLE,  ) 
NAPKRVILLB,  ILL.  WM.  NAPER.    ) 


ADVERTISE  M  E  N  T  S  ... 


209 


II.  C.  DANIELS,  M.  D., 

DEALER   IN 


PAINTS,  OILS,  GLASS,  DYE  STUFFS, 
MEDICINES, 


JSTOTIOIsTS,, 

NAPERVIL.L.E,    ILL. 


VALLETTE  &  CODY, 

ATTORNEYS  &  COUNSELLORS  AT  LAW, 

AND 

Office,  One  Door  West  of  Court  House, 
NAPERVILLE,  DU  PAGE  COUNTY,  ILLINOIS. 

HENRY  F.  VALLETTE, 
HIRAM  H.  CODY. 

S.  P.  STEVENS, 

MAIN  STREET,  NAPERVILLE,  ILL., 

DEALER   IN 


m 


a    pj 

&        «?la 


CHEMICALS,  TOILET  &  FANCY  ARTICLES, 

ra&roMiR?t  B@©MI  OTA«©iRm9 

PATENT  MEDICINES,  PAINTS,  OILS,  DYE  STUFFS,  BRUSHES,  GLASS,  ETC. 
Pure  Wines  and  Liquors    for    Medicinal  Purposes. 

PHTSICIAN8'  PRESCRIPTIONS    ACCURATELY   PREPARED. 


210  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


BA.ISTK  OF 


SCOTT,  KEITH  &  CO., 


NAPERVILLE,  ILL. 

GOLD,   SILVER,    AND    EASTERN    EXCHANGE    BOUGHT   AND     SOLD. 


Drafts  for  Sale  on  England,  France  and  Germany. 


INTEREST   ALLOWED  ON   SPECIAL  DEPOSITS. 


Collections  Made  and  Proceeds  Remitted  Promptly, 

AT  CURRENT  KATES  OF  EXCHANGE. 


Correspondents— In  Chicago,      -      -    H.  H.  TUCKER  &  CO. 

"  In  New  York,  -    -    MERCHANTS'  EX.  BANK. 


CHAS.  W.  KEITH,  Cash.     WILLABD  SCOTT,  Pres. 

CHARLES  W.  KEITH, 

AGENT   FOR   THE 

ILLINOIS  MUTUAL  FIRE  INSURANCE  CO, 

THE 

PEOBIA  HABIIE  &  FIB!  IHSDBANCE  COMPANY, 

OP  ILLINOIS,  and  the 

.ETNA    FIRE    INSURANCE    COMPANY, 

Of  Hartford,  Connecticut. 

POLICIES    ISSUED    ON    FAVORABLE    TERMS. 


A  D  V  E  It  T  I  S  E  M  E  N  T  S  . 


211 


E.  H.  EYER, 

EDITOR  AND  PROPRIETOR,  OF 

.    NAPERVILLE,  ILL. 
Terms,    $1-50   in  advance;     $2.00  if   not   paid  within   six   months. 


Of  every  description  neatly  and  expeditiously  executed,  on  short  notice 
and  at  reasonable  terms,  for  cash. 


CORNER  OF  WATER  &  MAIN  STREETS, 

NAPERVILLE,    DU     PAGE    CO.,     ILL. 
J.  S.  YUNDT,  Proprietor. 


Having  fitted  up  this  commodious  bou?e  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  public,  the  proprietor  will  spare  no  pains  to  satisfy  all  who  favor 
him  with  a  call. 

WILLARD,  SCOTT  &  CO., 

General  Dealers  in 


BOOTS  AND  SHOES,  HATS  AND  CAPS, 


'f 


WOOD  AND  WILLOW  WARE,  ETC. 

The  proprietors  have  just  purchased  in  the  New  York  market  one  of 
the  most  extensive  stocks  of  goods,  for  the  Fall  Trade,  ever  brought 
into  Du  Page  County. 

NAPEKVILLE,  ILLINOIS. 


212  ADVERTISEMENTS. 

JVAPERVILUE    ACADEMY. 


ENGLISH  AND  CLASSICAL  SCHOOL 

FOE.    BOTH    SE3CES. 


LOCATED     AT 

IMAPERVILLE,  DU  PAGE  CO.,  ILL. 


Boarding  and  Day  Scholars  received,  and  charged  only  for  time  of 
attendance. 

Rooms  are  now  fitted  up  in  the  building  expressly  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  Young  Lady  Boarders,  who  will  be  under  the  supervision  of 
competent  Female  Teachers. 


THE  PALL  TERM  BEGINS 


and  continues  until  December  24th. 

THE  WINTER  TERM  OF  1858,  WILL  BEGIN 

ON 


and  continue  eleven  weeks. 
For  prices  of  Board  and  Tuition,  apply  to 

C.   W.   RICHMOND,  PEINCIPAL, 

Napewille,  Illinois. 

NAPERVILLE  PLOW  FACTORY  AND  MACHINE  SHOP. 


S.  O.  VAUGHAN   &   PECK, 

MANUFACTURERS  OF  AND  DEALERS  IN  ALL  KISDS  OF 

AGEICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS, 

NAPEEVILLE,  ILLINOIS- 


